Bullshit Ban
by Bambieyes1234
Summary: Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eric/Sookie. Lemons.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.**

**Much from the first few episodes is left unchanged since huge changes in personality don't happen overnight, and our Sookie is a stubborn one. **

**This is my first True Blood fanfic, and I'm looking for a beta with an eye for the characters. SOS?**

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><p>Sookie stood on her porch, watching the two vampires with tired brown eyes. It had been a long day for her. Almost being drained by Eric and Russel Edgington, saving Eric from being burned into ashes, finding out about Bill's deception, the sheer heartbreaking pain that had pushed her into Fairy land, and yet another horrific realization - her people were a bunch of kidnappers, and they would be coming for her.<p>

Thinking about how much time she'd missed was painful. Looking at Bill made her feel like such an idiot; how could she have fallen for him so deeply? How could she have missed it? It was painful and humiliating.

As weary and pained as she was, Sookie was relieved that Eric was there, too. She didn't trust Eric anymore, she couldn't, not after everything, and she had to take care of herself now because she _knew_ the Fairies would come after her, and the vampires wouldn't be far behind - but if Bill was staying, she needed him.

Sookie knew if it came down to it, Eric would stop Bill from forcing his blood on her, if only because he wanted something from her himself.

Maybe she did trust Eric a little, far more than she should. Either way, she trusted Bill far less than Eric.

And now Bill was ordering Eric to leave.

"Don't you have an obligation to Fangtasia?"

"No, Pam can handle it - " Eric said dismissively, looking up at her from her front yard with highly focused eyes, drinking the sight of her in as hungrily as he had drunk her blood.

"I specifically wanted you - "

"While I appreciate your concern, we're fine, thank you." Eric's icy blue eyes did not flicker from her.

Bill lost his patience. "ERIC, GO!"

"No."

The two vampires looked at her, startled by her blurted protest. Recovering quickly, Eric smirked, looking unfairly boyish with his shorter, softer hair. Bill looked older than he had the last time Sookie had seen him. She wondered bitterly if that was another side effect of her blood, or if she was finally seeing him clearly.

"No," she repeated, trying to sound firmer.

"Sookie - " Bill tried, looking dismayed.

"He - " Abruptly realizing she was being rude, Sookie took in a deep breath and looked to Eric with slight pleading. "You can stay. If you aren't busy, I'd like you to stay." _Please._

Eric grinned, baring his white human teeth and long, sharp fangs. Within a second, the tall Viking had zipped to her side on the porch. "Apparently, I will be staying."

Sookie glanced down at the floor in relief, thankful she would not be alone with the man who had broken her heart and gotten other people to break her body, before quickly returning her gaze to Bill.

Bill was trying to recover but he looked mostly taken aback and hurt.

A slow but hot anger burned through Sookie. He didn't have the right to feel hurt. He had betrayed her, he had _fucked_ his skanky whore of a Maker, he had been planning to sell her to the highest bidder while preaching how much he _loved_ her, how he would _never_ let anyone hurt her.

"Sookie, we have things to discuss," said Bill, glancing pointedly at Eric, silently urging him to take a hike. Still smirking, Eric ignored it. "In private."

"Ms. Stackhouse doesn't seem to agree." Eric noted, a hidden taunt in his cordial voice.

"I don't," said Sookie, crossing her arms over her chest, more defensive than self-assured. She looked Bill directly in the eye, biting down on a twinge of regret and an ocean of pain. "I'm not yours anymore, Bill."

Bill flinched, eyes darting to her side, to Eric. "Sookie, we should - "

"I don't trust you," Sookie cut him off, almost adverting her eyes at the look of pain that washed over Bill's face. It had been hours since she'd found out, and the part of her that loved him wanted to forgive him, but she made herself harden. "I don't want to look at you, and I don't ever want to be alone with you again."

Bill stared up at her, anguished. "I love you."

"No," Sookie snapped, a harsh bite to her voice. "If you'd loved me, you would have told me - "

"I had no choice!" Bill replied, raising his voice, desperation in his face, and Sookie felt another hard jolt of relief that she'd asked Eric to stay. "My Queen ordered me - "

"To bring me to her!" Sookie raised her own voice, glaring tearfully down at Bill. "How dare you claim to love me, when you were planning on handing me over to that - that _bitch_?"

Bill looked away, jaw tight. "I would not have allowed her to take you. I would have given my life - "

"How sweet," Eric pitched in, his voice was both disgusted and darkly amused. "Sweet but entirely irrelevant."

Bill's eyes snapped to Eric, and a sudden look of frenzy crossed his face. "You say you cannot trust me, and yet, you are trusting _him_? Eric Northman, who has - "

Eric stared at Bill starkly, but Sookie spoke first. "As far as I know, Eric has never let anyone to beat me halfway to death just to get his blood in me."

Sookie's quiet statement hit the air like bomb, leaving complete silence in its wake.

In front of her, Bill had a look of agony plastered across his face. Beside her, Eric observed the other vampire's pain with an unreadable look on his face. So far, he seemed to approve of her actions.

Taking in a deep breath, Sookie directed one last sentence to her former lover. "I want you to leave now, Bill."

"I - " Bill swallowed, turning away from her. "I'm sorry, Sookie." Without another word, he zipped off into the woods.

Sookie watched him leave with her heart in her throat and her eyes full of tears. Mindful of Eric's presence, she did not let them fall. She wanted to call after Bill, to forgive him because it was easier than moving on, but she pulled herself together sharply. Her gran hadn't raised a coward.

Opening her eyes, she turned to face Eric - and flinched in surprise. He was standing directly in front of her, staring down at her with intense blue eyes. "Am I to assume you are truly done with Bill?" his voice was too netural.

Sookie raised her chin, staring boldly up into his eyes. "Yes."

"There's something different about you," Eric stated in his low, naturally gritty voice. His eyes flickered down, appraising what laid beneath her blue-with-yellow-dots dress. An arrogant smirk curved his lips, and his eyes darkened suggestively. "I like it."

Against her will, Sookie found herself reliving their one kiss; recalling perfectly how he had swept down on her, and taken what he wanted with a ruthless hunger. A wave of heat burst into being in her lower stomach, simmering hotly, urging her to step closer and let him take it all.

It was a bad idea for so many reasons, and Sookie's feet stayed planted firmly on the floor.

"I'm not in the mood for games tonight, Eric," she said, turning towards the door.

Sookie managed two steps before Eric zipped in front of her, blocking her path with his broad chest. Her nose came an inch shy of colliding with him, and she flinched back in surprise, hissing, "Eric, move!"

"Not yet, Ms. Stackhouse. We have important business to discuss."

"Like what?" Sookie demanded impatiently. Her heart had been stomped on, her sprit had been spat on, and her happy delusions had been shattered. She wanted to crawl into bed and pick up the pieces tomorrow, starting with her house. "I'm none of your concern, Eric."

"I beg to differ," Eric hissed fiercely. His blue eyes blazed with a sudden fury that almost made Sookie recoil and recant. "Despite your wishes, you are too deeply immersed in the supernatural world to bow out quite so easily."

Sookie scoffed angrily at him. "You think I don't know that?" she demanded, tilting her head back and glaring heatedly at him. His low opinion of her intelligence outraged her. "I know what my blood is to your people! I know that it won't be long until some day, some vampire rips me into a dozen pieces because of what I am!"

Eric snarled, a loud, wild, animal sound of fury. "I will not allow it!"

"Neither will I," Sookie snapped. "And that's why I have to stay away."

"They will find you anyway," Eric told her harshly, moving closer to her, almost nose-to-nose with her. Then the rage drained out of him, replaced by something stronger and just as dangerous; lust, longing, and solid intent. "Sookie, I want - "

Like a sign from the angels, his phone took this moment to ring, breaking the thick air of boiling anger between them. The sound hit Sookie like ice water, and she abruptly stepped back from Eric, realizing how deep they were in each other's personal space - a hair's breath away from kissing. Her face flushed.

Letting out a growl of frustration, Eric tore his blazing blue eyes from her heated brown, and yanked his cell out of his jean pocket.

"Pam," he barked into the speaker. "I'm busy."

"You should go," Sookie murmured, wide-eyed.

She pretended not to feel a painful fizzle of heat under her dress when his nostrils flared, catching her scent as she brushed past him and slipped inside her house, closing the door with an equel mixture of relief and cold disappointment.

"Sook?" Jason said, causing Sookie to open her eyes. He was staring at her, still holding their granddaddy's watch in his hands, hovering like he expected her to disappear...again. A twinge of pain hit Sookie hard. "You alright?"

"Yeah, Jason," she said, pulling on her crazy smile. "I'm fine."

Believing her, Jason flashed her a slightly dopey smile. "Good, 'cause I just called Andy Bellefleur..."

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><p>After seeing Jason and Andy out, Sookie locked every door and every window in the house, then going straight upstairs to bed. With her body still weakened by blood loss, her heart suffering from a constant aching, and her mind a knot of stress and fear, Sookie was able to drop off instantly. Her mood had not improved by morning but she forced herself to go through the motions, settling downstairs to call Sam.<p>

"Fairies," Sam said, sounding flummoxed. "I believe you," the shifter hurried to reassure her. "But...Fairies?" Sam let out a low whistle. "That's..."

Sookie let out a short laugh. "Crazy?" she suggested.

"No crazier than the story Andy Bellefleur was spreading around last night about my model employee running off to search for her cousin for a whole year without telling any body," her boss sounded wryly amused.

"Hey!" Sookie giggled, relieved for his acceptance. She tried not to wonder about Hadley and Hunter, if they had been caught by the Fairies. "It was Hadley or an alien abduction."

"You know - "

"Some people call Fairies aliens?" Sookie guessed. "Yeah, I know."

Sam sighed, and the mood grew serious. "I've missed you, Sookie. We all thought you were dead."

Sookie's smile faded. Standing up from the couch, she made her way into the kitchen, peering out into her back yard. "I'm sorry, Sam. I promise I won't ever disappear like that again."

"What if they come after you again, Sookie?" Sam asked tiredly.

"Then they'll come but I'm not going anywhere."

"You sound pretty confident about that," noted Sam.

Sookie stared out into her yard, looking at the beaming sunlight and the grass. Because of her so-called family, twelve months of her life had gone down the drain. Her brother and her friends had suffered, thinking her dead in a ditch somewhere, drained of all her blood.

This time it had turned out to be a false alarm, but would she be so lucky next time? Bill had almost torn her throat out after she'd rescued him, and she could recall the agony of Russel Edgington's fangs in her arm, and Eric, who had stroked her hair soothingly as he drank her. All of that, in one damn week.

Sookie grimly accepted that dodging fangs and balls of light were in her future, and that there was nothing she could do about that except survive. She had a power; it was time to use it and save herself instead of waiting around for the normal life she was never meant to have. It had been stupid of her to ever hope for one in the first place: she was telepath!

It was a bitter pill to swallow but swallow, she did.

In that split second, Sookie grew up, and like Eric, she liked the difference in herself. She was her own woman now, not a frightened girl clinging to her first lover, and burying her head in the sand. The hardest part would be sticking to this change.

"Sookie?" Sam questioned, sounding concerned.

"I am," she said strongly. "I am confident."

After a few more exchanges of words, Sam was called away, back to work. Before he hung up, Sam asked her to come in for the lunch shift - offering her job back. After agreeing, Sookie found herself with an hour or two to herself. With her new convictions fresh in her mind, Sookie went out into her back yard.

The sun was warm on her skin, and she tilted her face back, soaking up the rays. The grass tickled her bare feet.

"Okay," Sookie said to herself, opening her eyes and looking around uncertainly. She remembered the one time she'd tried to force her Light to work with Maryann, and how it had failed but she had used it a good few times since then, hopefully she would have more success.

She just had to eject a beaming white light out of her finger tips. "How hard could it be?" Sookie muttered sarcastically to herself.

She closed her eyes, concentrated on light pouring out of her fingertips, and spread her fingers. After a moment, she cracked her eyes open hopefully. Nothing. "Shoot."

Slumping, Sookie expelled a breath of air, and tried to think of ways to trigger the strange power which had saved her bacon more than once. After a few moments of thought, Sookie had an idea and rolled her shoulders back, recalling the few times she had used her light.

Against Marryann, urged on by her fury at the violation of her gran's memory; then, fear and anger as that werewolf lover of Debbie's taunted her, leering while Bill grappled with another vampire; my fear for Eric and hatred for Russell as they burned together in the sun, how his threats had lead to her blasting those handcuffs and saving Eric; finally, how she had discovered the Faries true form.

As she stood in the sunlight, Russell Edgington's voice drifted back to Sookie, filling her with cold fear and hot rage.

_"I will not surrender to the true death! I will find a way to come back and kill your precious Viking - "_

The rage burning through Sookie doubled in intensity, her mind coming up with a series of sickening images of Russell acting out on that promise, and then, the burning changed. It cooled and burned hotter at the same time. Her blood stopped boiling, but her bones seemed to rattle as an impossible forced raged through her, feeling like the golden rays of sunlight.

It was powerful. Too powerful.

Fear trickled in on Sookie, and with a startled gasp, her eyes flew open.

Her hand was glowing, a blue-white light had engulfed her _entire hand_, and as the first stab of fear hit her, her Light launched itself from her palm. Sookie sprang to her feet, watching in horror as the light smashed into a tree, turning it into splinters.

"Gosh," she gasped, flinching away from the flying...

Her shock and fear disappeared in a puff of smoke. Flying stakes. It was a weapon. Sookie had always hated weapons on principle, something the Fellowship of the Sun had done nothing to help with, and seeing part of herself creating such a weapon was terrifying and physically draining but good, too.

Not wanting to be a tasty treat or a brood mare, Sookie couldn't afford to be weak now, and this made her feel less helpless. Less Christian, too. Less human. Less like Sookie Stackhouse.

Distantly, dejectedly, Sookie wondered if Eric would like that, too.

Abruptly shaking her head, pretending that thought had never crossed her mind, Sookie directed her attention to a new problem; the broken pieces of wood scattered across her lawn.

As she began to tidy up, letting her mind drift, Sookie found herself muttering childishly, "He's not _my_ anything."

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><p>Returning from her shift, Sookie slammed the door closed behind her and closed her eyes, reaching up to rub the back of her neck. Work had been a painful experience. It had been good to see Arlene, Terry and Laffayette again but finding out that Tara had skipped town...<p>

Sookie could understand why. God, the amount of things that had happened to the poor girl since they were children; it made a whole lot of sense. She missed Tara already but if staying away from Bon Temps made her happy, then Sookie would be glad. Tara deserved happiness after everything.

As strong as her shields were, it had been difficult for Sookie to smile her way through the lunch shift. People had looked down on her before for spacing out or answering their thoughts, but today had been even worse. It wasn't easy to hold up her shields against the questions everyone mentally _threw_ at her. The noise and effort had given Sookie one of the worst headaches of her life.

But she had gotten somewhere with her house situation, and heard some damn unsettling things in Portia Bellefleur's head about Bill in the progress. Sookie wasn't jealous of the other woman. She was too betrayed by Bill's actions to feel anything but anger, shame and hurt towards him.

If Portia liked condesencing, controlling men with no issues with delivering someone he 'loved' to a vampire queen, then she had met the perfect man for her.

Shaking herself from her angry thoughts, Sookie went into the kitchen. As she passed the fridge, she made a mental note to pick up a couple of things at the store. There were a few things in the fridge but not really enough. After quickly tossing back some asprin, Sookie went upstairs to take a long hot shower.

It relaxed her for what seemed to be the first time in days. Her head had stopped throbbing in union with her heartbeat by the time Sookie exited the bathroom in her light green bathrobe, drying her hair with a towel. Noticing something out of place, she tossed her towel onto the bed, and moved the bed back into its proper place.

Sweeping her eyes over the room, Sookie was pleased to notice that nothing else was out of place. As much as it rankled to know that some strangers owned her home, they had taken pretty good care of the place. It was nice to look around her home, and not be reminded of Maryann, then of the Dallas trip, what Godric had done and Eric's anguished reaction.

She had gone to him afterwards, of course, but nothing had happened. Bill had still been angry, unable to understand her actions.

Sookie selected a short pink dress from a box of her things and removed her robe, shivering slightly at a gust of cool air, flinging the robe over her shoulder. If not hearing the sound of a robe hitting the floor, the faint impression of another's intense lust and strong possessiveness would have clued Sookie in that something was wrong.

On instinct, she turned.

Eric Northman stood behind her, dressed in black, shockingly tall in her bedroom and, as always, extremely handsome. His large hands held her green robe, all but caressing it as he stood, and stared at her naked body. His blue eyes were dark and wildly hungry with lust. He liked what he saw very much.

Sookie did not share his reaction. With a gasp of shock, she grabbed her tiny pink dress and tried to cover herself with it, trying to maneuver the neckline down to cover her most intimate area without giving him more of a show.

"What the hell, Eric?" she demanded, more irritated than surprised.

Eric let out a rumbling, throaty growl. "Such a strange sensation when the reality matches what you pictured in your mind so percisely," he muttered, eyes fixed down south on the very area she was trying to hide.

Torn between feeling strangely flattered and pissed off, Sookie didn't notice right away.

"Hey!" the blonde telepath snapped indignantly when she realized his glacial blue eyes were resting on her...well, certainly not on her eyes! "My eyes are up here."

"Hmm." Eric purred, moving his gaze up her stomach, lingering on her breasts, dragging slowly up her neck until he met those eyes. "So they are."

The heat in his icy eyes, the blatant desire to push her into the nearest hard surface and have his way with her, made Sookie feel flush, heat flooding every inch of her body. She clamped her thighs together, and prayed that his sense of smell wasn't that well developed - abruptly, his head angled backwards, nostrils flaring, a look of rapt pleasure crossing his face, like she was the best thing he had ever smelled.

It was unmistakably sexual, and Sookie found her body reacting to it - she had eyes, damnit! It was not her fault!

"Snap out of it!" Sookie demanded, hating herself for how that expression made her feel.

Breathing in her scent, an arrogant smirk stretched across his face. "You want me."

"I want answers," she said instead. "I rescinded your invitation. So, unless that was all one big hallucination...how are you in here?"

"You don't own the house anymore," Eric said almost absently, lifting a pair of (pink, she almost laughed) keys from his belt loop. "I do."

Sookie closed her eyes, grimaced. Of course, her house couldn't have just been brought by a real estate owner. He wanted something. She had known that from day one. And she wasn't going to give it to him, no matter how much she changed. No matter how much he trapped her.

"Yes," Eric gloated, the floorboards creaking under his huge form. Sookie felt a brief hope that the floor would collapse that died with his next step. Closer and closer, until he was right in front of her, and Sookie just had to open her eyes. "I own the house; I own you." He took one final step closer, and no amount of determination could stop Sookie's grudging lust and anxiety from ratching up at the look on his face. "Sookie, you. Are. Mine."

With a snarl, Eric's fangs dropped down.

Sookie's reaction tore out of her mouth thoughtlessly. "Fuck you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.**

**Some of you may be getting tired of the constant Russell Edgington references but remember, for Sookie, that only happened _two days _ago! She is understandably smarting over the whole thing, not having the full story like we do. **

**I'm still in dire need of a beta - I don't want to stereotype Eric! That should be a crime against nature.**

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><p>"With pleasure," Eric purred after her as she stormed by him, having re-claimed her robe without flashing too much of her skin.<p>

"That was not an invitation!" Sookie shrieked over her shoulder. She stomped down the stairs angrily, ignoring the sparks of pain that shot up her legs with each slap of her bare feet on the wooden stairs.

Eric followed behind her, almost literally on her heels. His gaze seared into her back, and the telepath could almost sense his powerful hunger. She wasn't wearing any panties or a bra, and he knew that. Without warning, he zipped in front of her, and Sookie slammed into his hard chest. His arms snapped around her, stopping her from tripping.

She could feel his abs pressed against her breasts, seperated only by his thin shirt and her old robe, and the sensation, aided by her imagination, caught her off guard. His smell surprised her; because he _had_ one unlike Bill, and because of what he smelled like. Ice water, cool and clean and sharp. Clinging to a thin string of reason, Sookie tried to gain distance from his cool form, reeling away.

Eric's arms did not allow her to go far, caging her in close to him.

"Let me go," Sookie gritted, restraining the childish impulse to scream and rage at him for touching her, for trying to buy her like a goddamn whore. He had no right, being so familiar with her when she could barely tell if he was about to kiss her or lock her in his basement; save her life or trick her into drinking his blood. It wasn't fair.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked as she glared up at him. His thumb stroked the back of her robe, sending sparks of heat through her body.

"Yes!" Sookie said resolutely, proud of herself for not faltering at the sharp flare of heat in her lower body at his touch or getting swept up in her anger.

Eric smirked. "No, you are not."

"Eric," she hissed warningly, eyes flashing with fire. He was an (mostly) untrustworthy jerk but Sookie couldn't bring herself to truly fear him, or blast him off her to prove a point - not when it could hurt him.

"Ms. Stackhouse," he demured, dripping honey into the words.

"Unless you're planning to throw me over your shoulder and lock me up again, let me go," Sookie snapped icily.

All smug playfulness dropped from Eric's face, leaving his expression worryingly blank (not coldly handsome, just blank), and she could feel his (many) muscles going ridgid against her soft curves. For a split second, Sookie's fury at his possessive claim faded, and she suffered a twinge of concern.

Then she remembered the sharp shock of hurt, the sickening betrayal, she had felt the moment he had flung her over her shoulder. It had hurt more than she would have expected it to. Somewhere along the way, she had grown strangely attached to the thousand-year old vampire, and that realization, twined with his actions in Russell's mansion then in Fangtasia, had sent her mind scrambling.

And then, Bill's actions had come out. That had hurt so much, like a bullet to the heart and a hammer to her pride. Stupidly, she'd forgotten all her gran had taught her and she had run away into the arms of her family, hoping for some peace but intending to return - and then, once again, her trust had been betrayed. She had been such a fool, so love-blind and naive.

But Sookie couldn't be so open or reckless anymore, not if she wanted to live - and being around vampires always seemed to end with her down a few pints of blood. Her anger lit up again.

Sookie's thoughts had raced around her head at an exceptional speed; no more than a few moments had passed since her sharp comment.

In those moments, Eric had not bothered to fully compose himself.

"I..." he paused, grimacing briefly before pushing onwards stiffly. "Apologize for my actions that night, Sookie, but know this, if I could have kept you out of the matter, I would have."

The sound of an (admittedly grudging) apology coming from _Eric Northman_'s mouth, in that scratchy rumble of his, shocked Sookie. Almost as much as his huge hands stroked down her back, kicking up some strong sensations - none of them disgust.

Her ire began to cool at the gentle way he touched her, like she was more than just another warm body to him, another notch on his freaking bed post. Startled and faintly upset by her thoughts, Sookie recoiled from his hands, turning on her heel and hurrying away from him into the kitchen.

"Really?" she tossed over her shoulder as she fled. "For a vampire your age, it really shouldn't be that hard _not_ to bite someone!"

Instead of reacting to the jab at her pride, Eric made a deep, growl-ish sound. "You make control a difficult task even for one as old as I."

Sookie gave him a scathing look over her shoulder, showing exactly what she thought of the last time he had lost control.

Eric looked back, growing serious. The floorboards creaked under his boots as his long, long legs ate up the space between them.

Sookie wanted to keep yelling, to fling the door open and try to shove him out, but the casual swagger of his hips, the graceful, enticing movement of his legs, kept her still to the spot, and then he was standing in her personal space with burning blue eyes, looming over her, that harsh look on his features.

"You would not be so lucky with other vampires."

"Is that a threat?" Sookie asked quietly.

"No," said Eric fiercely. "Your blood tastes like freedom, Sookie. Sunshine in a pretty - " his eyes darted down, lingering on her figure, a flash of a different heat in those eyes, " - blonde bottle. And while they may not know it yet, that is what vampires smell when they smell you. The former queen was insufferably loud in her gloating, and your former lover is no less arrogant - "

"Bill wouldn't tell anyone about me," Sookie said certainly.

Eric looked down at her darkly. "Perhaps not," he conceded. "But I guarantee it won't be long before others find out. You will need protection." He lifted his head a little, proud. "I can provide that for you."

"I'm not completely helpless," Sookie reminded him hotly, shaking her head with mounting anger. "Not enough to agree to be your whore, Eric."

A complete change went over Eric's expression; he shut down, reverting back to a chillingly cold stare, face set like marble. "Whore?" A dark, terrible anger crept in. His hands slammed into the kitchen counter, pinning her between a rock and a pissed off vampire. "No."

"What else would you call what you're suggesting, Eric?" Sookie demanded, aware of how bratty she sounded. But damnit, she was pissed off. "My blood, my body, for my house."

"I brought this house because I care about you," Eric claimed, a brutal anger to his voice. "If all I wanted was to taste your blood again, I could do it right now and there would not be anything you could do to stop me." He glanced down at her clenched fists. "You aren't fast enough, Sookie." His eyes glittered at her, anger and hunger burning through her in a single stare.

"I do not want a pet, a whore; I want _you_ to be _mine_."

Grudgingly, Sookie acknowledged that he wasn't wrong. He was faster than her, a whole lot faster, and stronger and smarter, too. Eric _could_ protect her from the vampires and maybe the fairies, too, but she wasn't willing to sink that low, to crawl into his bed and let him bite her, drink her, screw her whenever he wanted, like one of those fangbangers at his club.

The sweetest flavor of the month, she would bet. The conquest of the day. He would toss her away just as easily as he'd kicked that man the first night they had met. Like a piece of trash, a cheap whore.

This house had housed dozens of Stackhouses, and none of them would have wanted _that_ for her.

"I don't want to be yours," Sookie told him firmly.

"Yet," Eric corrected, not appearing too shocked or impacted by her statement. He had expected it; he had dismissed it the moment the words came from her mouth.

"I will _never_ be yours," she said with more heat, trying to burn the words into his skull until he got the point and stopped playing with her emotions.

Eric batted her words away like a bothersome fly, paying no mind to the intent in her voice. "You'll change your mind."

"I won't," she swore.

"I know you," Eric claimed boldly. He went on to say that their were two Sookie Stackhouses - the one blindly clinging to her humanity and the other who was slowly coming to grips with the fact that she was better than that, in his words. "It was Fairy Sookie who asked me to stay last night."

"No. That was sane Sookie," she corrected. He smirked at that, pleased by her lack of trust towards her former lover. "I trust you more than Bill right now." She shook her head. "That doesn't mean a whole lot anymore but it's already more than I should."

"You're finally coming to understand how much danger you're in," Eric observed. There was a flash of emotion in his face, almost regretful.

"I'm in more than you know," Sookie told him softly. She still held some anger for his demands but the part of her that trusted him to keep Bill off her last night cooled it.

Expression darkening a shade, Eric looked her directly in the eyes and murmured, "The Fairies, I assume?"

Hesitating for a mere moment, Sookie nodded. "Time works differently there."

Eric's face hardened. "They are responsible for your disappearence."

"It was like I was only there for fifteen minutes," she confirmed. Eric's icy blue eyes dropped, running assessingly over her figure. Lord, he was _worried_ about her. "They didn't hurt me."

"I could sense your fear when our tie awoke me, and your pain."

Sookie looked away from his face, startled by his strong emotions towards her. Rage and worry and something else. It was a far-fetched and slightly terrifying notion but it was almost like he'd missed her over the past year.

Eric had told her he cared about her. At first, she had assumed he was trying to use her feelings for him against her but now...now she thought that maybe in his own Eric-ish way, he really did care about her.

"Sookie?" Eric rumbled. He guided her face back to his with a firm hand, and sought the answers out in her absent eyes with his unnervingly intent eyes.

Rattled by her realization, reacting instinctively to the feel of his hands on her skin, Sookie went to her tiptoes and kissed him. For a split second, Eric was frozen against her and then he reacted with vamp speed. One big hand possessively covered the small of her back, the other came up to fist her hair, all intent on molding her shorter, softer form to his towering frame.

As he kissed her fiercely back, Sookie flung her arms around his shoulders and clutched at him, needing his solid strength to keep herself standing. Lust burned through her, white-hot and wildly hungry for the man clutching at her. Her thoughts were obliterated, and all her concentration was spent trying to keep up with Eric.

Sookie let out a small, sweet whimper as his cool tongue moved in her mouth, and the sound egged Eric on. A loud snarl rumbling in his chest, Eric's hand (such long, lovely fingers) snaked along her waist, lifting her up into the air and slamming her down hard on the kitchen table.

"Eric," Sookie gasped, a flash of clarity hitting her - and soon abandoning her once again as Eric crashed their mouths together for another fiercely passionate kiss.

"Again," he ordered hoarsely, hand wrapped around the curve of her knee. A bolt of lust shot up Sookie's leg like lightning at the feel of his bare skin on hers, and his lust-rough, commanding voice...

"Eric," she moaned, reaching desperately for him.

With darkened blue eyes that shone with animalistic lust, Eric claimed her mouth with his, aggressively exploring his new territory.

"Mine," he declared darkly, an almost angry desire in his actions. His hand begun to slid up her thigh, hardened skin against soft, and she made a soft sound of pleasure. His voice was so rough, like sandpaper on her skin, stubble against her thighs. Rough sex; all Eric. "My Sookie, say it. Tell me you're mine."

Someone knocked on the front door, and a cold wave of reality crashed down on her like an icy shower. With a gasp, she recoiled from Eric, sliding off the table and to her unstable legs. Heat rose to Sookie's cheeks. She felt angry and ashamed of herself for reacting so hungrily to his touch.

Eric's fangs, which had been so well behaved while he kissed her senseless, snapped down, and the furious vampire hissed at the door, moving to draw her closer.

"No," she whispered. She could still feel the imprint of his skin on hers, and it was almost stronger than her. But Sookie held firm, refusing to fling herself at him like that again. It was unladylike and undignified and...

His previous words finally hit her, and she turned away from him, clutching her robe to herself, trying to regroup. "That was mistake," she said clearly.

"No," Eric said harshly. His hands landed on her shoulders, turning her back around to face him. Though it was harder to deny him anything while looking into his eyes, Sookie allowed him. She was almost relieved to see him angry at her. It was easier. "It was not."

"Yes," she insisted. "I'm not yours - "

"Stop denying me," Eric ordered, looking her directly in the eyes. His long fangs touched his bottom lip. "Stop denying yourself. You desire me as much as I desire you."

"I want you," Sookie admitted honestly. Self-perspective was a bitch. If it wasn't a matter or survival, Sookie would have preferred to remain oblivious. "I wanted Alcide, too, but that doesn't mean I'm planning on sleeping with him."

Hands tightening just shy of painfully on her shoulders, Eric glared at her, his jaw clenching. "I should never have introduced you to that mutt."

"Sookie!" Bill called loudly, pounding on her front door.

"Do not answer it," Eric said warningly.

Sookie was in no hurry to face the heartbreak and humiliation that seeing Bill brough out in her, that horrible sickness in the pit of her stomach screaming how easily he had played with her, but Eric's usual tone - gritty and dark but so sleek, always commanding, even now - rankled her.

"He'll break down the door," she pointed out heatedly. "I want you to leave."

"No," Eric said simply.

"Yes. You and Bill can have your pissing contest somewhere else - I spent too much of my time cleaning blood off my kitchen walls."

"Sookie!" Bill called to her, worry in his Southern accent.

"One moment!" Sookie called back, eyes fixed to the huge blonde vampire who stood in her tiny kitchen.

Eric stared back at her, the space between them filled with unspoken things and restrained emotions. Finally, when Sookie had started to flex her toes nervously at his unrelenting bold stare, Eric retracted his fangs with a click. "Remain here. Do not open the door."

Eric zipped up the stairs. Sookie was tempted to open the door out of sheer petulance but, once again - Bill was higher on her list of problems.

She could hear him pacing outside her house, and she crossed her arms protectively over her chest, too weary to feel truly afraid or angry. Her body was worn, her strange power was snoozing, and her soul just plain hurt. She never wanted to see Bill Compton again.

Sookie wanted a lot of things; she was growing smart enough to know none of them would come true.

Eric reappeared in front of her with a pair of her jeans in his hands and a scarlet red top. Before she could react, he kissed her, a lingering peck that promised so many things. "You smell delectable," he rasped, breaking the kiss and shoving the clothes into her arms. "I won't have him smelling you like this." He smirked at her infuriatingly. "Especially now that you belong to me."

"I do not - " before Sookie could finish her outraged statement, Eric had zipped out her back door, leaving her alone in her kitchen with a remaining throb between her legs and her former lover waiting impatiently outside her door.

Sighing angrily under her breath, Sookie muttered, "Jerk," and started pulling on her clothes. She agreed that Bill had no right to smell her lust - just not because she thought solely Eric was entitled to that, like he did. She just thought it was a creepy invasion of her privacy. Which had never stopped Bill when they were dating.

Dredging up some of her gran's old fashioned Southern perseverance, Sookie marched over to the door, opened it, and said coolly, "Bill."

"Sookie," he exclaimed, moving close to her, seeming choked by the sight of her. The dark-haired vampire halted when Sookie stepped backwards, swallowing. "I thought something had happened to you."

Sookie bobbed her head, not bothering to ask why he had thought that. "Well," she said hesitantly, manners warring with the bitterness she felt. "As you can see, I'm - " _tired, pissed off, turned on_, " - fine."

"I was so - " In the midst of another steaming pile of horse puck, Bill froze, inhaling deeply.

"You smell - " An almost constipated look of fury and pain crossed Bill's face. " - like Eric Northman, and - " Bill broke off, staring at her, looking horrified.

She smelled like Eric and lust? Eric and sex? (Was there even a difference?) No wonder the arrogant a-hole had been pleased. It was only a surprise he hadn't stuck around to gloat, rub it in Bill's face.

Not that he _had_ anything to rub in Bill's face - it was just a kiss, a thing, a stupid thing.

"That's none of your business, Bill. _I'm_ none of your business. I told you I never wanted to see you again only last night."

Bill ignored every word to leave her mouth; his fangs went down, and his wide, livid eyes missed her aborted flinch. "Sookie, what are you thinking? Eric Northman - "

"We're not talking about Eric Northman," Sookie said hotly, clenching her fists. A fizzle of heat went down her arms, rattling her bones. Her Fairy powers were reacting to her fear and anger. "We're talking about why you seem to think you have _any _right to my life after everything you've done to me."

Bill's rage went away replaced by something that Sookie had never seen before - softer but just as infuriating. "You cannot tell me to stop loving you, Sookie."

It was that word again - love - that tipped Sookie over the edge of her patience. "No, Bill. You don't love me. You don't plan to sell out the woman you love to some crazy Queen!"

"I am Vampire! She was my Queen!" Bill shouted. Confusion swept over Sookie, along with a fresh sense of rage aimed at his nonsensical excuses and his overly thick accent. "I had no choice but to obey!"

No choice. No choice but to lie to her, to have her beaten, to make her love him, to kill Uncle Bartlett, to take her virginity, to dangle her in front of Eric like a shiny key chain, to lead her into a world where dozens of bloodthirsty vampires would tear her apart for her blood. To paint a target on her back that had gotten her gran killed.

For the first time, Sookie looked at Bill Compton and she saw him with a clear head, cold eyes - all feelings of love, all feelings of fear, vanished.

"I don't care," Sookie said in a voice that was alien to them both. There was no going back to who she had been; naive and lonely and stupid but safe. "It doesn't matter why you did what you did. I will never forgive you for it. Whatever we had together is dead, Bill, and I don't care anymore."

"No," said Bill, shaking his head desperately, taking a step towards her. "Sookie, no."

"Don't touch me," she ordered in the same cold voice. "Don't come anywhere near me - _ever _again."

When Bill made another move towards her, Sookie reeled backwards and slammed the door shut in his face, locking it behind her. The feeling of her Light returned as Sookie stared at the door, half expecting Bill to storm in anyway. When she heard the sound of Bill zipping away, she pushed the feeling back down.

As she went around her house, locking every door and every window, Sookie went over her argument with Bill. She took an old pocket knife made of iron up to bed with her, making a mental note to ask Sam if he knew anything else to slow Fairies down. Then she put on a silver necklace, dressed in one of her brother's old t-shirts and a pair of white panties, brushed her teeth, and climbed into bed.

Even with the silver, even with the iron knife under her pillow, even with the locked bedroom door that had a chair wedged under the handle (intended to give her a warning when the door was broken down), it took Sookie a while to finally relax enough to sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Sookie woke up to the sun streaming in through her curtains and the sight of a note next to her face. Alarmed, Sookie shot up in bed with a gasp, looking around the room frantically. Everything was where she had left it - except the chair. The chair had been moved aside from the door.<p>

Baffled and relieved to find herself unharmed, Sookie picked up the note. It read in a beautiful yet masculine penmanship - _Look under the bed, E._

E. Eric. Eric Fucking Northman.

Despite herself, Sookie relaxed into outrage, losing her fear. After a few moments of mental outrage, Sookie looked under the bed and found a large rectangular box expertly wrapped in pretty silver paper. There was another note, more lovely handwriting.

_Lemon juice is highly toxic to Fairies. As is iron, which I see you are already aware of. Clever, my lover. E._

"That high-handed jerk!" Sookie muttered in outrage. The information was useful, she would grudgingly admit that to herself, but she was not his lover! She would never be his lover - he was a sex hungry, thousand year old, unrepentant a-hole and she couldn't do casual, wouldn't do casual. Couldn't trust him, wouldn't trust him.

But when Sookie opened the box to find a huge water (machine) gun filled with lemon juice (she had always been allergic to lemons), she felt a wave of warmth and gratefulness that defied her stubborn thoughts.

Woulda, shoulda, coulda.

To her horror, Sookie realized that not only did she actually care about Eric Northman quite a bit, but sometimes, sometimes, she liked him, too.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary: Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.**

**There isn't a whole lot of Eric in this chapter but some of these things needed to be established, and the next chapter will more than make up for the lack of Eric. Pinkie swear.**

* * *

><p>The back door to Sookie's house swung open with a creak as the short blonde telepath walked out into the back yard, coming to stand in the middle of the yard with the water gun in her arms.<p>

It was useful. It would be dumb to leave a potential weapon lying around inside just because the man who brought the damn thing had a habit of being a presumptuous dick.

Admittedly, Eric was reacting completely different to how Bill would have. Instead of attempting to shield her like a china doll, Eric had given her a way to protect herself - while attempting to stamp her as his.

Sighing to herself over the man's complexity, Sookie bent down to place the water gun on the grass at her feet - and stiffened as a red, snarly mind snagged itself on her brain, triggering her telepathy.

_...Nice tits for a scrawny chick...looks like a natural blonde, too...wonder if she let King Compton bite her..._

King Compton. Sookie froze, her insides going cold. Her mind was blissfully blank for a split second before the truth dawned on her. Bill was the King of Lousiana.

That was bad. Bad for the vamps, bad for Eric, and bad for her. Bill would not be able to handle power well. Even when she had been blind to all his faults, she had been taken aback by his, quite frankly, stupid attempts at baiting Eric, his sheriff.

Case in point: there was a Were in her woods, watching her on Bill's orders.

Sookie straightened up automatically, conceaingl her true intentions for being outside and her realization by tilting her head up as though she was simply enjoying the day. Inwardly, Sookie tried to decide what to do about the Were.

Quickly coming to her decision, Sookie let her fury at Bill fill her body, setting her blood to boil. Her jaw clenched just as the Were, hidden ten foot away from her, started to wonder if she was one of those weird hippy chicks. The words had Maryann springing to mind, and combind with her anger at Bill, the power in Sookie sprang loose, bursting out of her fingertips like a rocket.

A rocket that she could barely control.

The Were's mind screamed in confusion, and for a split second, Sookie saw herself through his eyes. A small blonde woman in her work uniform standing in the healthy green grass in the sunshine outside a small white house, her hands glowing gold as a blast of that light shot towards its intended target, colliding within the space of a scream.

The Were's mind went blank with unconsciousness. Sookie gasped for breath, still started by the sight of such power pouring from her hands. It was inhuman. It was dangerous, too, and uncontrolled. The ragged tree trunk was proof of that.

Abruptly, Sookie was stricken by a flash of fear and she raced out into the woods, heart pumping blood through her veins, muscles flexing. She caught sight of a dark shape soon enough, slumped over on the floor.

"Oh!" Sookie exclaimed, rushing towards the fallen Were but stopping a few feet away. She checked for signs of consciousness and only stooped down beside him when she was sure he was down for the count.

He was tall. Not taller than Eric or Alcide, though he looked just as strong, but he had many inches on Bill. There was a wild mess of black hair on his head, young and thick. Grasping him by the shoulders, Sookie carefully rolled the Were over onto his back, revealing an incredibly handsome face.

She let out a sigh of relief, more concerned with having accidentally killed him than if he was eye-candy or not. His pulse was steady, and he seemed unharmed, just unconscious. After having seen her Fairy powers in action.

If Bill found out...a shiver went down Sookie's spine at the mere idea. No. Hadley's descriptions of her telepathy had sent Bill scrambling back to Bon Temps, she hated to think what he would do if he ever found out she was practicing her Light.

"Okay," Sookie said to herself. Bracing herself, she pushed her sleeves up, grasped him by the shoulders again and pulled. The muscles in her arms ached as she started to haul the huge man across the forest floor, grunting and gasping with effort.

After she managed to drag the werewolf inside and tie him to a chair, Sookie realized getting the Were inside was only half the problem. Now, she had to stop him blabbing about what he had seen to Bill. She would need help to stop the Were from escaping.

Biting her lip, Sookie's thoughts turned automatically to Eric. But he was dead for the day, and the Were would have broken free by the time he was up again. He couldn't help her with this.

It was discerning to realize that Eric was at the top of her list of who would help her. Sookie had always been attracted to the blonde vampire in someway but she was still coming to terms with caring about Eric, so it was startling to realize how much she trusted him.

So much for her promise to stay away from all things fangy to the crazy Fairy Queen.

But then maybe it was just common sense, she tried to deny her realization. Sam might not be strong enough to hold the Were, and all the other reliable people she knew would be in even more danger than her.

_Horse puck_, Sookie's new sense of reality snorted mentally, blowing the flimsy excuse out of the water.

To avoid thinking about her feelings for Eric, Sookie studied the Were. For the first time, she actually noticed how handsome he was. His arms were thick, his skin was clean and tanned, his dark hair was sexily mussed, and there was a slight scruff on his face. He looked a few years older than her.

It was clear this Were was not some desperate V addict, like Debbie Pelt.

Thinking of Debbie Pelt directed Sookie's mind to Alcide, and she could have slapped herself for being so thoughtless. Alcide was a Were, so he was strong enough and she was sure he would help her out - he was a nice guy. A real nice guy, the kind nice girls were supposed to marry and live happily ever after with.

It was a damn shame Sookie couldn't be a nice girl anymore.

Relieved to have a plan, Sookie wasted no time in grabbing the phone and dialling Alcide's cell. She waited anxiously for him to pick up.

"Yeah, hello?" Alcide's gruff voice said.

"Hey, Alcide." Sookie said, sighing with relief. "It's Sookie Stackhouse - "

"Sookie?" Alcide sounded astonished. "Holy - you're alive? Where the hell have you been? Was it that damn fanger?"

"It's a real long story," Sookie spoke, laughing nervously, glancing at the unconscious Were. His mind was still blank but Eric had not been incorrect when he'd said her powers were too slow. "And I really need your help with this Were."

"Were? Damnit. You in trouble again?" Alcide sounded almost fondly exasperated.

"Yeah. I think so. He was spying on me from the woods. I knocked him out, like I did to that Were in your apartment. If anyone finds out what I can do, they'll kill me. He's still unconscious but..." Sookie's gaze rested on the Were, her pink lips pursed as she confided in a low, vulnerable voice, "I don't know what else to do."

"Sookie - "

"I hate to ask, what with you already having done so much for me, but could you come down to Bon Temps? I swear I wouldn't be asking if -"

"I'm in Shreveport right now," Alcide interrupted. "I'm getting into the car." To back up his statement, Sookie heard a door slamming. "I'll be there as fast as I can. Keep your eye on him - and, Sookie?"

"Yeah?" she said. The big, nervous ball in her stomach had eased with Alcide's words.

"You owe me an explanation to where the hell you've been."

After Alcide had hung up, Sookie grabbed the shot gun from the fireplace and sat down on the couch, facing the Were. In the end, she calculated how long it would take Alcide to get to Bon Temps. Half an hour, if he hurried.

Good news was that she wouldn't be late for the morning shift at Merlotte's. Now for the bad news...

Almost half an hour after her phone call, Sookie felt the Were's mind lifting itself out of unconsciousness. A memory burst into her mind from his, of how she had looked in the sunlight, glowing with her Fairy power.

The man's head jerked up clumsily, eyes snapping open and locking on her. For a moment, he was frozen, staring at her with an open astonishment, and then he grimaced, and groaned. He had a British accent. "I'm - this is going to sound so stupid but I've gotta ask; are you an angel?"

Sookie startled, straightening up in surprise, accent twanging in surprise. "Excuse me?"

He thought she was an angel? Crazy Sookie Stackhouse with more family murdered than alive?

"Well - what with the light and all, I had to ask." He stared at her, wonder in his eyes. "I've never seen anything like that. So, are you?"

A knock at the door saved Sookie from answering that question.

"No," she said anyway, a coil of bitterness in her stomach. "No, I'm not." She moved around the bound Were carefully and opened the door to Alcide, putting the shotgun to the side.

He looked exactly the same as he had a year ago. Tall, tanned and strong. His black hair was rumpled, and his green eyes locked on her, not entirely unlike how Eric's beautiful blue eyes had on the porch two nights ago. The memory made her stomach clench, a confusing mixture of excitement and fear.

"Damn," Alcide said, looking her over in amazement. He opened his large arms. "C'mere."

Sookie felt a grin come over her face, a flush to her cheeks as she stepped willing into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his stomach. Alcide hugged her tightly, a simple affectionate gesture that said oh-so-many things. Breathing in his earthly, woodsy scent made the tension in Sookie's muscles unravel.

Alcide was an a very attractive, a very nice and a very strong man but that had nothing to do with this embrace. Alcide was her friend, and he would help her - no strings attached.

Thinking of the Were, Sookie pulled away first. "He's through here."

Alcide looked past her, and walked through to the sitting room. He looked at the Were, and the Were looked at him. Something passed between them, feral and masculine. Sookie dismissed it as a Were thing.

"I'm Sookie Stackhouse," she introduced uncertainly, unsure of exactly how to speak to the man she had kinda kidnapped. "This is Alcide. Uh..."

"Thomas," the kidnapped man offered, eyes flittering between them. Soon, he had dismissed Alcide and was looking at her again. "I know who you are. King Compton hired me to keep an eye on you."

Alcide glowered at him, crossing his arms across his chest. "You're being awfully forthcoming about this."

"Perhaps I'm hoping that she will return the favor, and answer some of my questions," Thomas returned, not sparing Alcide a glance.

Just what she needed, another curious Supe sniffing around her.

"Why?" she blurted. "Why did he hire you to stalk me?"

How did Bill become King, anyway? From low-level grunt to royalty seemed a large class skip. It was probably the result of some stupid Vampire rule.

Thomas shrugged his broad shoulders once. His eyes were a piercing green as they studied her. "He was ranting and raving about you needing protection from some Northman fella."

Alcide looked at her sharply, and Sookie returned the look with a don't-ask grimace.

"From what I saw earlier, you don't need protection from no one." _Pity_, he thought.

Thomas liked to look at her. He didn't like Bill's interest in her; she seemed like a nice girl, too good for some pansy with a bad haircut. He was curious about her microwave fingers. He wasn't a bad man.

"If you tell anyone what you saw today..." Sookie started, and then stopped, forced to think about what would happen if her secret ever got out. A shiver shot down her spine, cold as ice. She wasn't sure what scared her the most: being tortured and killed or being kept alive, feed on, a vampire's pet.

Eric had tried to make her accept his protection, for the price of her blood and body, and the loss of her self-respect. Between her dignity and her life, Sookie wasn't sure which way she would bend if it came down to it. Either way, she felt cornered and trapped from both sides. Her future stretched on ahead of her, bleak with fear of her powerful enemies.

It was nearly enough to make Sookie walk Godric's path. It would be easier to choose her own death. Easier but not better. Her gran would be ashamed by the very thought, and how could she leave Jason all alone? How could she check out so easily and still call herself a Stackhouse, still hold her head high?

For a short illogical moment, Sookie thought about Eric, counting him among the people she would _never_ do that to.

Squaring her jaw, Sookie finished her sentance quietly. "I will be killed."

Thomas looked at her, read the truth in her face, and his thoughts said, _no_. He wouldn't do that to her, a blonde woman who he still half thought of as an angel. He meant it. "Then I won't be talking about it, will I?"

* * *

><p>Alcide had given Thomas a ride back to Shreveport. Alcide had hugged her goodbye, and Thomas had apologized, swearing once more that he would never tell anyone what he had seen. He was nice, as far as hired stalkers went. After thanking Alcide and promising to call him, apologizing to Thomas for knocking him out, Sookie changed into her uniform and went into work.<p>

Mikey was an adorable baby, but it was strange to look at the cute little boy and remember coming home to find her gran dead on the floor because of his father - Arlene's thoughts had screamed _Rene_ from the moment the redhead and Terry had walked into the bar.

Sookie didn't hold any grudge towards any of them, but she could understand why Arlene was keeping quiet. Most people in Bon Temps wouldn't be forgiving, and school was tough enough for a kid without people knowing about poor Mikey's dad.

Arriving home at the end of her shift, Sookie got out of her car and snagged the grocery bag out of the back. She took a step towards the house, and then froze, paranoia creeping up on her. The hair on the back of her neck prickled, and Sookie tensed, looking around sharply.

The thought came to her with solid conviction; someone was watching her, close by. Absently placing the brown grocery bag on the boot of her car, Sookie licked her lips nervously, straining to hear. She had carefully poured some of the lemon juice from Eric's gift into a smaller water gun which was now in her bag.

But what if it was not a Fairy? What if it was another of Bill's people?

Sookie was frightened. She hoped it was one of Bill's people because if Queen Mab came after her - would the lemon juice really work? What if Eric was wrong? She wouldn't be able to fight off the frickin' Queen by herself - or would she? She had been able to knock Queen Mab down pretty hard...

Grabbing the water gun in her purse, allowing her terror to flood her body, Sookie waited stiffly for an attack. Her blood boiled, power sung through her body, and her hands began to shimmer lightly -

"Sookie!" Tara cried in delight, racing across her yard towards the blonde. Her hair was gorgeously smooth, and her face was bright, happy and healthy, and that sight filled Sookie with joy.

"Tara!" Sookie exclaimed. At the sight of her best friend rushing towards her, Sookie's fear was replaced with delight, and she met Tara in a crushing hug. The two held each other tightly for a long moment, and Sookie breathed in her best friend's perfume. It was a new brand, less smokey and more sweet. "Tara, how did - "

"Lafayette," Tara laughed. It was beautiful and untroubled. Such a rare thing with Tara that Sookie had to squeeze her a little tighter before reluctantly letting go. The year had been good to her childhood friend. "He texted me, said you was home. I parked out back cause I wanted to surprise you."

"You did!" Sookie swore, beaming happily at her friend. The changes in Tara were obvious, and she had to stop herself from hugging the other woman again. Things felt more normal with Tara at her side. "God, you look amazing."

Tara smiled. "Thank you." She gripped Sookie's arms tightly, staring at her face. Her smile fell, a weight returning to her expression, a sigh leaving her mouth. "God, Sookie, I thought you were dead. Where the hell you been?"

"Where the hell have _you _been?" Sookie retorted. Anger surged up in her stomach at Tara's confession - at the Fairies. It killed Sookie how much she had worried her friends, how much of her life had been stolen from her.

Tara shrugged a little. The lack of anger in her response startled Sookie. "New Orlenes."

Sookie smiled at her friend, forgoing her anger for love. "You really do look amazing, Tara. Happy."

"Yeah," Tara looked away, blushing a little. There was no vulnerablity in that reaction. She was not afraid of letting others know that she was happy for fear of it being snatched away like she would have been a year ago. "I am happy. This place - I know you love this place, Sook, but it's like poison."

Her gran had loved Bon Temps. Jason loved Bon Temps. Sookie wasn't so sure. It was her home but how could she deny the pain Bon Temps had brought her and so many others? Tara had gotten out of it, and she was finally happy.

"Yeah," Sookie agreed softly. "Let's go inside," she suggested, managing a suggestive smile. "I have ice cream."

Tara grinned but her voice was lovingly soft when she spoke. "That sounds great, Sook."

Unable to stop herself, Sookie gripped Tara's hand, taking the grocery bag with the other and walked to the door.

On the door was a note that had not been there this morning, under a pretty red bow.

"What the hell?" Sookie said. She recognized the hand-writing easily, having spent five minutes staring at Eric's previous note in blank horror that morning.

At Tara's request, Sookie passed the note over and went inside, dropping the grocery bag on the counter. There was a microwave and another note - _In with the new. You like?_

"You gotta be kiddin' me," Sookie muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. The water gun had been one thing, a damn useful thing, but this? Too far.

"Damn, Sook," Tara sounded amused from where she slouched against the doorway. "You and Bill - "

"No," Sookie said forcefully, causing Tara to raise an eyebrow. "We're not back together - we'll never be back together - " Sookie took in a steep breath, calming herself, and tried another smile. "This stuff is from Eric."

"Sookie, you are _not_ with him now?"

"No," she sighed. "The son of a bitch brought my house."

"He brought your house?"

Rolling her eyes at him, Sookie opened her fridge-freezer and discovered a large, elegant class full of blood. "Psychopathic frat boy." She was tempted to pour the blood down the drain but hey, it might stop him from badgering her about tasting her blood - or it might encourage him.

Slamming the fridge door shut, Sookie turned back to her friend and apologized. Tara laughed it off, making Sookie marvel at the changes in her friend. Sookie was determined not to let Eric's more annoying gifts ruin this. And then she found the fucking cubby.

Bastard built a motherfucking cubby _in her house_.

"Jesus Christ," Sookie muttered, realizing something.

Having come to the same conclusion, Tara laughed at her. "Sook, I think he's plannin' on movin' in."

Sookie flinched at the thought. It would be impossible to relax in her own home, knowing that Eric Bastard Northman was snoozing in his cubby, probably dreaming up ways to mess with her.

"You have to go?"

The sun was up. It was too early to drive to Fangtasia. "Not yet," she flashed Tara a rather unhinged smile. "Come on. Sit down. Let's watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

* * *

><p>"Sookie," Pam spared her a glance. "Eric isn't here."<p>

"Good," said Sookie. Pam looked at her with a little more interest. "It's you I need to talk to. In private."

Pam looked at her, making a small curious sound, pursing her bright pink lips. "Hmm, fine."

Pam walked her back into Eric's office and took a seat on his desk. "So?" the sardonic blonde said, running her eyes suggestively up and down Sookie's form. "Unless you've decided to talk a walk on the wild side, I only have a limited amount of interest in your petty problems."

"I need your help," Sookie said bluntly, not having the time to mince words. "I'm guessin' you know that Eric brought my house."

Pam rolled her eyes in disgust, as if to say _of course_.

"Well, here's something I know." Sookie looked at Pam who was putting in a pair of earrings. "I know you want me off Eric's radar, and I want that, too."

In the fraction of a blink, Pam had stopped with her earrings and was towering over Sookie in her pink high heels, a terrible interest in her face.

Sookie forced herself not to freeze or gasp, and kept talking. "I know that he built a cubby in my house, and put blood in my fridge." Here came the dangerous part. "And that he isn't thinking clearly."

Pam's fangs snapped down, a threatening look darkening her features. "You know nothing of my Maker, little girl."

"I know that he brought my house so that he could waltz in whenever he liked," Sookie said quickly, stopping Pam from voicing her vicious thoughts. She knew Pam would rip her throat out as soon as looking at her, and Pam was certainly looking at her. "Problem is, so can any other vampire, and for some reason, he didn't think of that."

Pam hissed, and Sookie started to draw on her microwave fingers. She was frightened by Pam, angry at Eric, and, damnit, concerned for him, too. "I'm guessin' that isn't a good thing in your world."

"I should rip your throat out for daring to say such things about my Maker," Pam snarled, pink lips baring her sharp white fangs.

Swallowing her fear, Sookie replied as calmly as she could, looking Pam directly in the eye, "Ripping my throat out won't make what I said untrue."

After a long moment of laser-eyed contemplation, Pam retracted her fangs with a click, and Sookie's panic eased slightly.

"You could just give Eric what he wants," Pam said suggestively, just as Sookie relaxed. "Fuck yourself out of his system, and maybe he'll lose interest."

A pink flush climbed up Sookie's neck, and her dark eyes darted jerkily away from Pam's blue. For a long moment, she considered Pam's suggestion. Eric could kiss like a house on fire, he was unfairly beautiful for a man, and he wanted her a whole lot. And more damningly, she wanted him. Heat simmered in Sookie's lower stomach like a volcano, urging her to throw caution to the wind and just do the easiest thing.

But would one night be enough? For either of them?

Thinking of the look in his hungry eyes the two times they had kissed, Sookie realized that it wouldn't be. She mentally slapped herself in the face. Her gran would have been horrified by the nasty thoughts going round her head. She was a lady, not a damn fangbanger.

"No." Sookie was startled and horrified by actually having considered a one-night stand with Eric. "I won't sleep with someone I don't love."

"Pity for you," said Pam, smirking at her.

Swallowing, hating the throb between her legs, Sookie tried to keep on subject. "If anyone can convince him to leave me alone, it'll be you."

"You don't think I've been trying to discourage his little obsession with you from day one," Pam snorted at her disdainfully. "Please." At her look, Pam let out a heavy sigh, like she had asked for the impossible. "Fine. I'll talk to him."

"Thanks," Sookie nodded, moving towards the door.

She didn't get far before Pam zipped behind her. Sookie whirled around, and Pam put a hand on her shoulder, close to her throat. "Of course, I could just kill you now."

"You could," Sookie agreed breathlessly. She gripped Pam's wrist, face tightening as that strange golden sunshine shot down her arm.

Pam's eyes flickered down to the smaller blonde's hand as her tanned skin began to glow, a look of shock knocking the snarl off her face. Then the vampire's astonished eyes snapped back to Sookie's wide brown eyes.

"But I'm not helpless, Pam." Squeezing Pam's cold wrist, Sookie allowed a wisp of her Light to lash out.

A bright blue light flared from Sookie's hand, and Pam was knocked back a few inches, a small yelp of surprise escaping her pink mouth. Pam stayed back, started, staring at Sookie.

"And if I wanted Eric dead, I would have let him burn in the parking lot last - last year. I wouldn't have given him my blood or kissed him last night." This time Sookie made it out of the room. With the last word, to boot.

* * *

><p>As Sookie drove home from Fangtasia, she found herself thinking of Bill. She had...heard Jessica feeding on a boy in the bathroom at Fangtasia. Reviewing her memories, Sookie was disturbed to realize how much of a bad maker Bill had been. How many times had he left poor Jessica alone? Or dumped the young vampire off on Eric and Pam, who were hardly the kindest choice of people to look after a frightened teenage girl?<p>

Biting her lip, Sookie acknowledged that she had been far from selfless towards Jessica as well. She should have made Bill spend more time with her or taken up less of his time.

Sookie shook her head. She had more regrets about her relationship with Bill than happy memories. Before she could start beating herself up about it, something caught Sookie's eye. A tall, shirtless blonde man was walking down the street ahead of her. In concern, she looked closer, and immediately hit the gas until she was level with him.

"Eric," Sookie called, concern ringing in her voice. He didn't look at her, just kept walking, staring distantly ahead. Her concern turned into worry. She hadn't seen him so distracted since he had been saying goodbye to her in his office.

"Eric!" His head twitched, moving towards her but not quite looking at her. He was acting so strangely, it started to frighten Sookie. What had happened to him? "_Eric_," she repeated, a note of panic in her voice.

Eric stopped, turning his head towards her. His blue eyes were wide, his face was slackened, and his hair was mussed. He looked so lost, and the look tugged on Sookie's heart strings. Sookie hit the brakes, looking at him worriedly.

"Who are you?" he murmured.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary: Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.**

**I've been awful about replying to reviews lately but I promise to be better at it now that my home schooling has FINALLY been sorted out. As promised, here is the next chapter. **

**Feel free to check out my poll regarding a new True Blood fanfic of mine. **

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><p>"Who are you?"<p>

The soft, fearful question hit Sookie hard in the chest, knocking the breath out of her. Though she knew there was _something_ wrong with him, she couldn't help but feel a sting of hurt. "I'm...Sookie."

"Who?" he repeated faintly, turning towards her tentatively. Her voice had been soft and stunned but he seemed to find her threatening somehow.

"Eric, you know me."

Eric stared at her like a wounded animal. "No, I don't." After a moment of staring at her blankly, he turned back to the street.

Panic surged wildly up in her chest at the thought of Eric walking around in his frightened, confused state, and Sookie shoved her door open. Eric hissed loudly at her, recoiling backwards into a crouch. His muscles were tense, and his blue eyes were livid with terror.

Gasping, Sookie stumbled back, staring at him with wide eyes.

The look in his eyes killed her. She wanted to soothe him so strongly, like she had wanted to on the roof with Godric, but she knew that it would only scare him.

If he ran, she wouldn't be able to catch him. If he ran, someone could hurt him.

Usually Sookie would laugh at the thought of anyone giving Eric trouble but something had happened to him, and if whoever caused this found him again...

Any anger she had felt for Eric was forgotten, overpowered by her protective instincts.

Sookie raised her hands slowly, chest aching at the look on his face. "Okay," she said softly. "I won't come any closer."

Eric stared at her wildly, breathing heavily, like he actually needed the air. Slowly, the tension in his muscular eased, but did not dissipate. "You...know me?"

Unsure of what to think about his seeming lack of memories, Sookie nodded jerkily. "Yes. I'm...you could say we're business partners, I guess."

That was what they had started out like, now it was more of a stalker and stalkee relationship. Except not, at the same time.

Eric inched a little closer to her, about as comfortable as a cat on hot bricks. His eyes were huge and painfully blue, so scared that Sookie's heart swelled. "My name is Eric?"

It took effort for Sookie to remain still, to not offer comfort. "Yes," she said, looking at him. He looked so pitiful, so un-Eric like that it frightened her. "What happened to you?"

Eyes locked on her, Eric shook his head slightly. And then a gust of wind came from behind Sookie, and his expression became transfixed. In a move not entirely unlike his reaction to the scent of her arousal, Eric's head lifted and he sniffed the air.

"Why do you smell so good?"

Sookie stiffened, suddenly she felt threatened. She licked her lips slowly. "That's not important."

Eric ignored her, moving a little closer, inhaling deeply. His expression was slowly turning hungry, the bad kind of hungry. "Like wheat...and honey...and sunlight." His fangs clicked down.

Okay. That was it.

Balling her fist, thumb on the outside just like Jason taught her, holding back her Light, Sookie lashed out and popped him hard on the nose.

Eric's head snapped to the side from the force as Sookie tried to shake the pain out of her knuckles. "What did you do that for?" he demanded, actually having the gall to look hurt and outraged by her actions.

"You looked like you were about to go for my neck!"

"It was a compliment!" Eric protested, touching his nose gingerly as a bead of blood slid down his chin.

"It didn't sound like one! It sounded like you were reviewing a menu!"

"You _broke _my noise!" Eric yelped like a disgruntled child.

"Oh for Heaven's sake, come _here_." Sookie stepped towards him, trying not to let her anger soften at the sight of his blood or how out of character he was acting.

Eric looked at her warily but allowed her to peer at his nose, flinching away when she moved her hand to touch him.

Anger gone, Sookie paused and looked up at him reassuring me, feeling a twinge of guilt. Punching the already scared and vulnerable man was terrible of her - but at least she had been able to restrain her light. "Unless I think you're about to take a bite, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

Eric looked at her intently, and she remained still, staring up at him with kind brown eyes while he tried to decide if he could trust her or not. Eventually, Eric lowered for her, and she felt relieved.

"This may twinge a bit," Sookie warned him, stroking gently down the bridge of his nose. His skin was soft and worryingly cold - not cool, but _cold_. His intense eyes burned down at her, like blue flames, and the hesitance, the uncertainty, in them made her ache for him. "It isn't broken, barely even bruised and you're a vampire, so that will heal in like five minutes."

"I know what I am, Sookie," Eric murmured, watching her intently, seeming almost disappointed when she removed her hand from his skin. His petulance reminded her of Jason whenever he was sick, and she couldn't help but smile at the thought. A smile that disappeared with his next statement. "I just don't know _who_ I am."

"Nothing?" she asked, worry leaking into her voice. She figured Eric must have made enemies in the past thousand years, and this left him clueless, vulnerable, a sitting duck. She was suddenly fervently glad to have found him. "What's the first thing you _do _remember?"

"I don't know," he bit out in agitation, softening his voice when he saw her stiffen. "I don't know."

Thinking back, Sookie came up with a new question. "Okay. Well, you were walking when I drove up - do you know where you were going?"

"I..." he frowned. "I don't know. But there's something...listening, maybe. Home."

"Eric," Sookie called to him softly. His eyes snapped back into focus, staring at her almost desperately. "It's cold out here. Why don't we get into my car and you can tell me, then?"

"Cold," he repeated numbly, eyes moving over her form. "You're cold."

Sookie was, actually, but she had meant him."Yeah, so are you. Come on."

With hesitance, watching her warily, Eric climbed into the passenger seat of her car. Sookie got into the drive seat and looked over at him. He looked as cramped as a sardine in a can.

Resisting the urge to laugh at the sight by reminding herself how freaked out he was, Sookie rolled the windows up, switched the heater on, and warned him. "I'm just going to readjust your seat, so you won't be so cramped, okay?"

Eric nodded, his eyes were wide, still afraid. "Okay."

Sookie adjusted his seat quickly so that his long, long, _long_ legs weren't practically pushed up to his chin and reached for the red afghan in the back seat.

"What are you doing?" Eric sounded tense.

Sookie turned her head to the side and abruptly realized how close their faces were. He had turned his head to watch her with those startled eyes. They were close enough to kiss. A fizzle of heat simmered in her lower stomach against her will. Eric's eyes widened, and he stared at her face with a measure of wonder.

"You are so beautiful." His voice was quiet, hushed with awe and so very sincere.

Heat rushed to Sookie's face, a shy smile tugged at her lips before she could clamp down on it. Glancing away from his soft, open expression, Sookie swallowed. "I'm just grabbing a quilt from the back. See," she pulled the afghan into her lap and passed it to him.

"Oh." He accepted the afghan and tentatively wrapped it around his broad shoulders, covering his bare, shirtless, pale and _extremely _muscular chest. Lafayette would have called it a crime against humanity, Sookie couldn't argue. "Thank you."

After blinking at him in surprise, Sookie tried to figure out what the hell was going on. "You were telling me about the last thing you remembered."

"Yes." His eyes grew unfocused, and his face moved away from hers, staring blankly out of the window shield. And then he started to ramble, quick and smoothly, in another language.

Sookie shook her head slowly at him, trying to identify the language but she soon gave up - even if she could recognize it, she sure as hell couldn't speak it. "Eric - "

His eyes snapped to her, expression grim and his voice gained panic. When he said something, repeating the words twice, Sookie interrupted, "Eric, sweetie, I can't understand whatever language you're speaking. English."

"Her eyes," Eric said instantly. "Her cold, empty eyes." He stared at her, almost pleadingly. "They were reaching into me..." his mouth remained parted though it was a moment before he continued. "Emptying me."

"Okay," Sookie said soothingly. She had turned to face him in the middle of his speech.

"And it was her," he said fiercely, eyes getting wider, panic growing. "But it wasn't her." He shook his head slightly, like he was acting out his words. "She was in, ah, a circle." His eyes flickered up, trying to dig more of the memory up. "Chanting. And, ah...everything I was..." Eric paused, panic fading to sorrow, swallowing. "Was taken from me."

A sickening jolt of rage surged within Sookie. She felt a moment of pure, hot hatred toward whoever had brought the pain-in-the-ass Eric she knew to this. She hadn't always wished the former Viking well but she had never wanted him to be hurt, either.

"Okay," repeated Sookie, reaching over to touch his hand, grounding him back in the present with her touch. "I'll help you deal with this."

Coming fully back to the present, Eric took her hand in his, making her feel so fragile. He stared down at their hands, her small, tanned one in his large, snow-pale one. Unable to deny him the small comfort, Sookie did not pull away as she would have mere hours ago.

"I am grateful for this," Eric murmured.

"Whatever," Sookie started her car. She could drive one-handed, and helping him in some way lessened the ache in her chest. "Just keep your fangs to yourself."

It would be stupid to lay down a no-touching order when she had reached out to him.

* * *

><p>Opening the door for him, Sookie flicked on the light and walked into her house, casually kicking the rug out of her path. "I'll call Pam."<p>

"Pam?" he echoed softly.

"Yeah. Pam's your - well, I don't know what you call it but you're her Maker." Turning to see if he understood, Sookie realized that Eric had stopped in the doorway. She stared at him in question for a moment before it hit it. "Oh. Eric, you already have an invitation to my house."

Following her gesture, Eric entered her house, looking around skittishly. Forgoing her plan to call Pam, Sookie went to his side. "Why don't you go sit in the sitting room?" he looked at her. "I'll be there in a minute," she smiled at him.

Murmuring his agreement, Eric limped - _limped_ - toward her living room. Sookie frowned at his legs. Having him in her house had relaxed some of her worry but now she could feel it returning.

"What happened to your leg?"

Eric turned to her, looking baffled. "You're limping."

"Oh," he murmured, lifting one of his feet.

There were tiny rocks embedded in his dirty feet, Sookie noticed with a cold thrill of horror. He was bleeding, and they looked deep. Eric looked back at her, nonplussed by the startled expression on her face.

"Sit down," Sookie ordered. It surprised her when Eric actually did sit back on the couch. She quickly filled her gran's old baby bath with warm water, and returned to the couch with that and a first-aid kit.

Her first priority was getting the stones out of his flesh. Trying not to think of what Eric _should_ have said about this, Sookie knelt at his feet, placing the baby bath at his feet.

Watching her intently, Eric moved his feet into the warm water. Sookie dug a pair of tweezers from the first-aid kit and rolled the muddy, ripped bottom of his jeans up, grasping one of his ankles. His skin was icy against her warmer hands.

"This might hurt a little," Sookie warned him.

Eric shook his head slightly. "I can't feel them."

Sookie paused, looking surprised.

"I would heal around them," Eric offered.

The horrifying thought prompted Sookie into action. Gripping a stone firmly with the tweezers, she pulled it out of Eric's flesh. A drop of his blood fell into the water where his other foot rested but Eric was unresponsive to it.

"Wow," she muttered, impressed despite herself, and Eric grinned, pleased.

Oh.

He had a beautiful smile, wide and open with perfect white teeth. It looked better on him than his usual harsh frown or smug smirk. If he smiled at her like that more often...well. Her self-control and convictions were only so strong.

There were five more stones in Eric's foot, and four in his other foot. Sookie was relieved to be finished with that task. How could Eric not have noticed so many stones in his feet? How long had he been walking before she'd stumbled across him by dumb luck?

After re-filling the baby bath with clean water, Sookie went upstairs to fetch a cloth to clean the dirt off his feet and she called Pam.

Pam sounded annoyed when she bit out a generic greeting in her droll voice.

"I thought you should know that Eric is at my house."

"So?" Pam said, a frank carelessness in her voice. "It's his house."

Sookie counted the other woman's reaction as good news; if Pam didn't expect Eric back so soon, than no one else should. Now, how the hell was she supposed to tell Pam that her Maker didn't remember owning her house, or anything else for that matter?

It wasn't the kind of thing that should be broken over the phone. And her neck might be broken in person - but it would be safer for Eric that way.

"Well, would you mind bring some of his clothes over?"

Pam make a naughty purring sound. "Oh? So you decided to fuck him after all?" Before Sookie could react, Pam continued. "_Finally_. I didn't think you had it in you, human. I'm impressed."

"Well you shouldn't be," Sookie snapped. "I did not have sex with him." Taking a breath, Sookie softened her voice and started down the stairs. "He isn't himself, Pam. He's _okay_," she added forcefully. "Just...different, vulnerable."

"What?" Pam snarled, her bored voice was hard, worried and trying not to show it. "What the fuck happened to him?"

"I don't know, and I don't think we should be talking about this over the phone." Sookie glanced into the sitting room where Eric sat on her couch, absently stirring the water around with his foot. "Just grab his stuff and hurry over here."

The sound of something moving very quickly was her only response, and Sookie hung up the phone, coming to kneel by Eric's feet again, dipping the wash cloth in the water. It had gone cool.

When she looked up, it was to see Eric watching her. "I'm sorry the water got cold."

Eric shook his head lightly, leaning forward to look closely at her. "Doesn't matter. You live alone."

"Yes," Sookie answered, figuring he was concerned about someone walking in. "I used to live here with my friend, Tara, but she moved out."

Eric studied the blonde telepath at his feet, unable to stop taking in the kind woman's beauty. "You are unmarried." He felt strangely glad of this.

Unaware of Eric's thoughts, Sookie nodded, adverting her gaze to his feet as her thoughts turned to the man she might've married. Logically, she was glad Eric had told her before she'd had the chance to marry Bill but thinking of what could have been (if Bill had been what she'd wanted him to be) hurt.

"No," Sookie muttered, "I'm not."

"I've upset you," Eric realized, looking unexpectedly contrite.

"It isn't you," Sookie said quickly, feeling oddly breathless at how sweet Eric was acting. She moved the wet cloth up the arch of his foot, and then something unbelievable happened.

Eric giggled, jerking his foot out of her grasp. "It's - it tickles," he said to excuse his reaction, still grinning at the sensation.

Thought bemused, Sookie was unable to stop herself returning his delighted grin. It was infectious, and the thought of _Eric Northman_, badass 6'4 Vampire sheriff, being tickish was so absurd.

"You're ticklish?" Sookie repeated incredulously.

Before either of them could say anything else, the door flew open and Pam burst in, wearing the same glittery pink dress.

Eric was on his feet before Sookie could even draw in a startled breath. "Who the fuck is she?" he shouted, panicked.

"Fuck!" Pam blurted, looking horrified.

Sookie jumped to her feet, holding a calming hand up to Eric, as though to halt him. "It's okay. It's Pam. I told you about her."

"Oh. Right. Sorry," Eric looked down at Sookie earnestly. "I'm sorry."

So Eric with amnesia - polite.

That was _never_ going to stop freaking Sookie out.

Or Pam, it seemed.

"You don't know me?" Pam asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"No," Eric said bluntly.

"He doesn't remember anything, Pam," Sookie explained.

"Nothing?" Pam questioned aggressively. The usually calm vampire looked uncharastically alarmed, her blue eyes were wide and frantic. Sookie could almost hearing the woosh as dozens of thoughts zoomed around her head.

"No."

"Shit," Pam exclaimed. Her eyes moved to Sookie, filled with intensity and poorly concealed desperation. It was clear Pam loved Eric just as much as Eric had loved Godric. "Sookie, you have to hide him."

Sookie startled, eyes going wide. "What?" she demanded. "No, I can't! You'll be able to hide him much better than I can."

The Fairies wouldn't stand much chance against an awake vampire but if they caught Eric while he was asleep, they would probably have much better luck, and it was only a matter of time until the Fae went after her.

"I'm the first place they'll look!"

"Who the hell is _they_?" Sookie exclaimed.

"Bill fucking Compton and the witches."

Only in fucking Bon Temps.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary: Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.**

**Due to my laptop charger melting (again!) this chapter took longer to write up than it usually does. Again, feel free to take a look at my True Blood poll.**

**Reviews are motivation, and much motivation is needed for this scatterbrain!**

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><p>"God, Pam," Sookie said, obliterating an old instinct to defend Bill. He had already tried to kill Eric before over fear of him doing what Bill himself had planned to do to her, no less. "There's no way I would be able to stop Bill or a witch from forcing their way in here!"<p>

"Eric was gloating about how good you've gotten at busting Compton's tiny balls last night," Pam retorted. "And if that doesn't work, you can pull that Fairy shit and crispy-fry him. Rinse and repeat for the witches."

"It isn't that easy," Sookie gritted. "If I'm not fast enough, we'll both be in trouble!"

"I'm not your therapist, Sunshine," Pam snapped, stalking forward, almost threateningly. "You'll have to be fast enough. Remember this is his house - "

Eric made small, cute sound of surprise. "It's my house?"

Sookie looked at him incredulously. Someone was trying to kill him and he was more concerned with owning her house? She was about to point this out to him before something hit her.

"This is his house," she repeated, turning back to Pam. "I can't rescind Bill's invitation or any other vampire's."

Sookie could sense Eric frowning at this piece of information.

Pam was unimpressed by this arguement. "Shooting cannonballs of light out of your hands beats rescinding an invitation, trust me."

"Like I _already_ said - "

"Like_ I_ already said, this is his house - you don't have much of a choice, princess. This is the last place Compton will look; his ego has always deluded him to the point of insufferable stupidity in the past, I doubt he'll start thinking clearly now."

Sookie knew Pam was right, about Bill being blinded by his ego. After the wrong impression he had gotten last night, Bill would probably convince himself that she had been doing it to spite him. In truth, Bill had been the last thing on her mind while kissing - back in the kitchen.

It would feel pretty damn good to get one over on Bill, like he had to her, but Sookie would never risk Eric's life for such a petty reason.

"I can barely control my Light!" Sookie protested. "If a bunch of witches turned up on my doorstep one night, there's no telling if I'd be able to stop them or not!"

Pam's fangs snapped down, and Sookie's hair was blown forward as Eric zipped to his feet, hand shooting over her shoulder to fling Pam away from her. Pam went flying out of the room on her back, sliding through the hall, crashing into the rug and stopping in the kitchen with a groan.

Sookie turned her head to stare at Eric in shock. He was standing right behind her, looming protectively, an almost stern look on his handsome face. He was sporting fang. "Be nice to her," Eric warned Pam softly.

"I'd settle for 'don't bite her'," Sookie muttered quietly. On one hand, seeing Pam being flung across the room like she had been was pretty funny. On the other, it highlighted how unusual Eric was acting.

Eric looked at her honestly, a measure of reassurance in his expression. "I won't let her hurt you."

The conviction in his rumbling voice made Sookie swallow, a strange pang in her stomach.

"How sweet," Pam remarked sourly, smiling in a forced, unnatural way as she climbed to her feet, retracting her fangs and returning to the sitting room. She made sure to stay far away from Sookie. "Sookie, I believe Bill sent Eric into the witches coven in Shreveport, knowing it was a trap. His feelings for you will deafen him to any suspicions that you may be harboring Eric."

"Feelings for you?" Eric asked softly.

"Bill was my boyfriend," Sookie murmured over her shoulder, giving him a clue before turning her attention back to Pam. "Bill's supposed 'feelings' for me didn't stop him from planning to gift-wrap me for the Queen."

"He's self-righteous as fuck," Pam sniped. "He wants to believe he's more than a pathetic waste of blood. No spine, all ego. I believe he's planning to use this as an excuse to have the AVL sign off on assassinating Eric. And I'll get the paperwork started on putting the house back in your name so you can keep Compton out."

Sookie narrowed her eyes at Pam, who raised an eyebrow back archly. It was a bribe as much as a precaution. The house had been home to many Stackhouses. Everyone she'd loved had spent time in the house, making it full of happy memories. Sookie wanted it back, desperately. Being able to block Bill soothed many of her fears - for Eric and for herself.

Sookie sighed. Pam seemed pretty convinced that she would be able to keep Eric safe from the witches, and really, it wasn't like she held any delusions about being able to stay out of trouble - her blood was vampire crack, she'd kicked a Fae Queen's ass, and she could read minds.

"Okay," Sookie relented. "I'll take care of him." She looked Pam over. "You'll need to bring him more of his clothes, though. I haven't got anything that will fit, and speaking of - "

"Dropped a bag out on your porch," Pam answered, her frantic air easing into a more droll, lazy one. "I need to return to Fangtasia." She looked at Eric seriously, reassuringly in her own crazy Pam-ish way. "I'll kill the bitches that did this to you."

Eric nodded, and without another word, Pam zipped out of the house, a black sports bag came sliding into her house from the porch. Releasing a breath, Sookie started forward, locking the door, grabbing the bag before sitting down on the couch, head in her hands. Witches. She had to deal with witches now.

Eric was still for a moment before tentatively sitting beside her. "I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"No," Sookie said instantly, lifting her head and shaking it, looking into his soft blue eyes sincerely. "None of this is your fault, Eric."

Eric studied her expression before looking down at his large hands. "Perhaps not," he conceded gently, reminding her oddly of Godric. "But I did place you in danger by buying your house."

How was it that the subject which had filled her with such hot fury only yesterday, now meant so little to her? She couldn't bring herself to be angry at this Eric for mistakes he didn't even remember making.

"You have many enemies," Eric continued. Then he hesitated, looking almost afraid of the answer. "Am I one of them?"

"No," Sookie said swiftly. His expression relaxed. "I mean, you can be a total jerk at times but unlike most vampires, your intentions haven't been to drain me dry or enslave me or other nasty things." If they ever had been, Eric had never _really_ acted on them.

Hearing the matter-of-fact nature to her voice, Eric looked at her with new eyes. "You have survived so much." Then his face fell. Sookie didn't need to read his mind to know he was thinking of those enemies being able to get at her easier now.

"You didn't plan it," said Sookie. Of all the things she'd been pissed at Eric for trying to do by buying her house, trying to kill her had not been one of them. "I think it was just a mistake."

"Do I often make such mistakes?" Eric asked sharply, angry at himself.

Sookie felt her mouth forming a grin. "Only when you're too busy pulling my pinktails to think clearly."

Losing his anger, Eric stared at her, startled. And then he looked at her with heat in his blue eyes, cutting her to the core. Eric edged a little closer to her, intense in every way. Her body reacted instinctively to his closeness, heart skipping a beat.

"Are we lovers?" Eric asked softly.

From enemies to lovers. Sookie remembered their latest kiss, being slamming into the kitchen table, his rough palms but slow hands moving up her legs, mouth fierce and desperate on hers. It was a vivid memory. The intense throb in her lower stomach pounded in time with her heartbeat.

"No," said Sookie, hesitating even as she spoke. She wanted the denial to be true but it didn't fit right. "No, we're not."

Eric looked disappointed, more than he should be over a girl he had just met in a way. Swallowing, brushing a strand of blonde hair back from her face, Sookie stood from the couch, gripping the sport's bag. "Come on," she muttered. Eric stood up, looking down at her. "You can shower and get changed then I'll show you around - since you'll be staying with me."

It sounded even weirder outside of her head. Eric Northman would be staying with her. Yikes.

Sookie walked him upstairs and showed him the bathroom. Eric was silent, looking around the small room with wary eyes, like he expected a Were to be hidden under a stack of towels.

Nodding nervously to herself, Sookie went to excuse herself from the room, "I'll just..." _leave_. Eric looked at her with his bright blue eyes. "I'll just be down stairs. Come find me when you're done."

"Alright," he said. She closed the door behind her, leaving Eric standing stiffly in the middle of her bathroom. The shower started up when she was walking down the stairs.

Sookie settled down in the living room, leaning back and closing her eyes. She had seen Eric naked before. Fortunately, seeing how brutal he had been with Yvetta had iced her growing attraction for him. Yes, she admitted it. Sookie Stackhouse was attracted to Eric Northman, that didn't mean she had to act on it.

Even if this Eric was sweet and nervous and not unnervingly unpredictable. And completely naked in her shower upstairs. She wondered how he would react if she climbed in the shower with him. After a moment, Sookie pictured the scene.

The bathroom would be steamy, and he would be under the spray of hot water, face tilted up, smelling her before he saw her. His hair would be plastered to his scalp, darkened to a bronzed gold. Water would be pouring down his body, down his well-defined abs, down the trail of blonde hair...

He would be smiling knowingly as she slipped in, naked, behind him, and he would turn around, pulling her close to him, under the spray. Her fingertips would brush the skin of his biceps before growing bolder, and he would kiss her roughly, tongue ruthlessly exploring her mouth, as blatant a claim as his fangs in her throat. And she would accept it.

The shower turned off, and Sookie was sent crashing back to reality. Her eyes snapped open, and a mortified blush coloured her face. It was the first time she'd consciously had a day-dream of Eric like that. He wasn't himself. He needed her help, and she was thinking filthy things about him; how could she?

Shame burned through Sookie, and she moved to her feet, hating how weak and shaky her legs were. She was turned on, very wet, and - Lord, he would be able to smell that. Horror replaced her shame, dousing the remaining cinders of her arousal. Sucking in a deep breath, Sookie moved into the kitchen.

As always, her eyes automatically went to the patch of floor where she had found her grandmother's body. Sookie's breathing hitched in pain, and she forced herself to look away, tears burning her eyes. Her gran had taught her how to cook in this kitchen. No matter how many times Sookie had messed up the recipe, her gran had been patient and kind, encouraging.

Her tears spilled over, and Sookie rubbed them away.

"You're crying."

Sookie inhaled sharply, whirling around in shock. Eric stood in the doorway, brow furrowed, watching her in concern.

The sight of Eric in his usual clothes froze the telepath to the spot. He was unfairly attractive; long, long legs in tight dark jeans, those _abs_ which were now covered with a white tee, his golden hair and heart-stopping baby blue eyes. But it wasn't that which stopped Sookie cold.

She was used to his arrogant expression, his overwhelming and not undeserved confidance that he was the hottest thing in the room, his cold composure in the face of everything with the exception of Weres. This Eric looked at her with wide, skittish eyes that drifted around the kitchen, and when he came to stand close to her, it was not because he wanted her in his bed.

He was so afraid but she was all he had, he would protect her, and his body language screamed all of this. It made her feel angry and sad and so damn protective.

"Did something happen?" Eric asked. When he was certain no one was with them, he became less afraid but more protective. "Did someone hurt you? Is it the other vampire, the one you were with?"

"No," she hurried to reassure him, frantically wiping at her eyes. "It has nothing to do with Bill." Not entirely true. Eric narrowed his eyes at her, seeming to read her body language as well as she could read his. That was such a pain. "Okay, it does but not like that."

Eric studied her. "Are you frightened of him?"

"Bill wouldn't physically harm me," Sookie answered, remembering Pam's words about her ex. Bill certainly thought himself above that - no, he liked others doing his dirty work. It wasn't being hurt that scared Sookie. It was Bill's blood blinding her again.

Eric continued to look at her, concern bright in his open face, and Sookie had to look away from it. She opened the fridge, and her eyes rested on the jug of blood in her ice box.

Sookie stared blankly at the sight and she felt incredibly weary. Fairies and vampires and Weres and witches. It was too much. She wanted to sleep, and deal with everything in the morning but compassion stopped her. Lost Eric tugged on all of her heartstrings. It had already loosened her mouth and she had trouble clinging to her conviction to be logical when all she wanted to do was make him feel better, to make him Eric again.

She wanted to be Sookie again before her life had fallen to Hell, back when gran was still alive.

Gran would tell her to stop being such a terrible host and offer the darn vampire a drink.

Cracking a faint smile at the thought, Sookie grabbed the jug of blood from her fridge and showed it to him. Eric looked faintly surprised at the glass jug filled with blood. "Hungry?"

"This really is my house," he murmured as though he had not believed it until now.

Resisted the urge to protest or gloat, Sookie poured him a glass of the blood. After handing it to him, she put the jug back into the fridge and led him towards the cubby. She opened the doors and peered down the stairs. It was dark down there.

"This is where you'll be sleeping," Sookie told him, glancing over her shoulder at him. Eric had finished his blood, his fangs were away again, and he peered down into the cubby he seemed unsure, Sookie shrugged at him and climbed down into the cubby. When her foot hit the bottom, several lights flashed on, and she startled.

There was a large Eric-sized bed along with several thick, leather-bound books that looked interesting. "Nice," she muttered before raising her voice to call up to him. "Okay, come on down now."

Eric stared down at her, hesitating, and she gave him a look. Trusting her, Eric climbed down the ladder and Sookie moved out of his way, unable to stop herself from taking a closer look at the open book on Eric's bed. It was in another language, possibly the one Eric had slipped into before. How many languages could Eric speak, anyway?

Wishing she could ask him, Sookie glanced up to see the Viking vampire staring at her.

"You live here. In my house," said Eric, sweeping his eyes around the cubby pointedly.

"Hey," Sookie protested. "This was my house first. You brought it and built this place without my say-so."

That did not sate Eric's curiosity, if anything it doubled it. He arched an eyebrow at her.

"I was gone for a year," she explained stiffly, still far from comfortable with that fact. "You brought my house."

Eric absorbed that, and she got the impression that he was not pleased with her reply. "Will you be leaving again?"

"Never," Sookie said heatedly. "Not if I have any say in it." _Not if my lemon-filled water gun and my microwave fingers have any say in it._

She only realized that Eric had been slightly tense in the first place when he relaxed. "Good."

Sookie took another look around the cubby, shaking her head at his high-handed assumptions, and moved towards the ladder.

Eric moved quickly to keep her in his line of sight. "Where are you going?"

Sookie paused with one foot on the ladder, looking over at him. "Up," she replied, pointing in that direction. Eric nodded, looking slightly disappointed. She climbed up to the top, feeling relieved when she had her feet on solid ground again. Sookie looked down into the cubby, and Eric looked up at her. "You have a few hours until dawn, aren't you coming?

After briefly tilting his head to the side, Eric clambered up the stairs, stepping out into her house, closing the doors behind him.

"I have work in the morning," Sookie told him, and he nodded. "So I have to go to sleep now but you're welcome to watch some TV or read or do whatever but don't go outside, okay?"

Looking perplexed by her ground rules, Eric nodded in agreement nonetheless.

"Thank you," she said, relaxing. If Eric was running around outside, Bill could run into him easily. In a fight, Eric would win easily, and that was the problem. Killing the king would doubtlessly be breaking _some_ law, right? "Night, Eric."

"Goodnight," he replied in kind.

As she walked up the stairs, Sookie ran through a mental checklist of all the entry points in the house. She was still on the downstairs windows when Eric spoke abruptly, "Sookie?"

When she turned, it was to see him standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at her with an expression that was difficult to read. "What is it?"

Eric was silent for a moment, struggling with himself before finally giving in. "Can I come with you?" he asked softly.

The tenderness in his voice melted Sookie, emotion lumped in her throat. Her new common sense urged her to say no, to remember that Eric, no matter how lost and vulnerable, was a vampire and she was part Fae. But how could she say no? Sookie didn't think he would bite her, was fairly sure that he wouldn't in fact, but she hardly had a good track record with her judge of character.

Conflicted, Sookie made the mistake of looking into Eric's incredibly blue eyes. They were soft and unguarded, not unreadable or closed off. Like a shock of lightning, Sookie _knew_ he wouldn't hurt her.

"Yes," the blonde telepath replied just as softly.

For the first time since Pam had arrived, Eric smiled at her, soft and bright and brilliant. Her heart skipped a beat, striken by a wave of strong affection. He walked up the stairs to meet her, and with a nervous flutter in her stomach, Sookie led him to her bedroom.

Leaving Eric to explore her room, Sookie changed hurriedly in the bathroom into an unsuggestive cotton nightgown, took her hair down and brushed the knots out, cleaned her teeth before walking back into her bedroom. Without looking at Eric, she climbed into her bed and turned the light off, rolling over to her side.

The bed dipped with his weight behind her, and Sookie felt her nerves increase, her heart missed another beat. His unneeded breath hit the back of her head. Sookie steeled herself, gathering her bravery, and rolled over to face him.

Eric was staring at her, face mostly hidden in the dark, but his blue eyes were bright enough that she could see them. "You are beautiful," he told her with the same painful earnestness that he had said it before.

Sookie's breath hitched, her heart pounding, and she forced herself not to say, _so are you_. He was, though. Pale as the stars, golden hair shining in the dark, and his eyes were simply breathtaking. It would be so easy to kiss him, and it hurt not to but he was still Eric, and she just _couldn't_.

Bill had never called her beautiful, not like Eric did. Her ex fell short in every way compared to the man in her bed now. Only...

"I wish..." Sookie stopped herself by biting her tongue. It was a stupid wish, an impossible one.

"What do you wish?" Eric whispered. She shook her head, heat darkening her cheeks. He inhaled her scent gently, and reached out, folding her tiny hand in his large white one. It made her feel small, tiny but protected. "Tell me."

"I wish I knew where I stood with you,"Sookie confessed, looking away from his eyes. If Eric could ever look at her like he was now, with his memory intact, then she might have considered being his.

Thinking of being Eric's frightened Sookie. What would happen if she changed her mind? Would he become different if she agreed? How long until he grew bored with her? Could he love her?

"I wish the same," Eric confided, catching her attention.

Sookie gripped his hand comfortingly, closing her eyes, determinedly not thinking about the handsome dead man beside her. Everything was locked. A small water gun was in her handbag. Another was under her bed. The iron knife was under her pillow.

Eric Northman could kill any of the Fae without blinking.

For the first time since Bill confessed to posioning her, Sookie realized she was safe. Deciding to dwell on that in the morning, Sookie began to drift off to sleep.

"Thank you for everything," Eric said lowly in a voice full of meaning. Mindlessly, mostly asleep, Sookie brought his hand to her mouth and kissed it clumsily.

Dimly aware of Eric's intense gaze, Sookie fell asleep with her hand clasped in a vampire's.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary: Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.**

**Here There Be Monsters. And spelling errors.**

* * *

><p>Sookie drifted.<p>

A sense of peace submerged her in sleep, a lazy sequence of images flashed through her mind. The memory of a tall, shirtless blonde man walking down the road twisted and intertwined with an image of how the Fae world had looked while she was in her coma, post rescuing Bill. There was a man standing by the water, a young man with dark hair - Claude.

"Sookie," Claude said in her dream. He looked like Matt Bomber on the surface, but Sookie _knew_ what was under that. "_Sookie_, cousin," he repeated frantically, blue eyes burning into her dreams. "You must beware - my sister - Claudine - "

"Claudine?" her dream-self murmured, sounding punch-drunk. And then, with panic, "Claudine?

Claude opened his mouth to speak, but Sookie was suddenly snapped back awake. Her hand clenched tightly, curling around lukewarm flesh, and mindlessly, Sookie rolled over, eyes closed, putting her head on someone's stomach. Muscled stomach, cool skinned because stolen body heat faded fast.

Vampire. There was a vampire in her bed. Why. Why was there a vampire in her bed? Sookie was unable to work up a panic, feeling completely relaxed and sensing no danger.

The man stiffened under her head before a hesitant hand landed on her head, tenderly stroking her messy blonde locks. "Sookie."

"Eric," Sookie uttered softly, not fully grasping the situation until a moment later. Realizing she had all but cuddled up to him, she hurriedly moved away from him, heat flooding her cheeks. "Sorry!"

Eric frowned at her. "I'm not," he told her, face open with honesty.

The events of yesterday came flooding back to Sookie with that one expression. No leering, no sexual invitations, just a hand stroking her hair softly and honesty. She rubbed at her eyes, ham-fisted and childlike. What had woken her up? Movement, him moving away. The feeling of security had fractured when Eric tried to pull away.

Sookie froze, slowly lowering her hands. Her mental shields were constantly up to keep other people's thoughts - _especially_ a teenaged Jason - from influencing her dreams. When Bill had left her to die for the day, she had never even noticed, but Eric moved, and she was awoken instantly, trying instinctively to keep him in bed with her. Oh, Lord.

The sheets moved around her as Eric shifted closer to Sookie. Her eyes snapped to him instantly, taking in his sheepish expression. "I'm sorry," he told her quietly. "I was trying to leave without waking you."

"It's - it's fine." Sookie mustered up a smile, tucking her hair nervously behind her ear with the lie. Darn, her hair was a _mess_. "I'm just a light sleeper, I guess."

As Sookie started to self-consciously push her hair around, Eric reached over and took a lock of wavy golden hair between his fingers. "I like this," he told her, so soft-spoken and sweetly that Sookie's heart smacked against her ribcage. "You look even more beautiful like this."

Sookie hated herself for blushing like a school girl. These days she could listen to the filthest, nastiest, foul things that people thought without blinking but this Eric turned her entire face red with his pretty blue eyes and his sweet, painfully sincere words.

An uncertain smile playing at her mouth, Sookie's eyes flickered away from him and then back again before she sighed at herself, and pushed her face into her pillow. If she had to act like a teenaged girl, she didn't want him to see it.

"Don't hide from me?" Eric said.

"I can't help it," Sookie muttered into the pillow, waiting for her face to cool down. "You have no idea how different you are."

"From who I usually am?" he asked, moving closer to her, putting his face beside hers on the pillow. His eyes burned into the side of her head. She doubted he would stop poking at her until the sun came up, and he _had _to leave.

"From everyone," she admitted, lifting her head to look at him. Eric gazed up at her, seemingly entranced by her lack of make-up and bedhead. "I'm a telepath."

Eric's reaction was interesting. His eyes widened, and his head rose to pin her with an interested stare. There was no anger or wariness in his posture, just simple amazement. No one had ever reacted like that before - with rage, with disbelief, with horror or betrayal but not this.

"Can you read my mind?" he asked, almost eagerly.

"No," Sookie said promptly. "I can't read vampire minds. Thank God." Eric looked at her, and she elaborated, "Well, you vampires tend to be crazy paranoid. If any vampire so much as suspected that I could read their mind, I'd be dead before I could even scream." And that was if she was lucky.

The thought made Eric frown, head lowering to stare back up at her. "I would never hurt anyone as beautiful as you."

Sookie wasn't so sure about that. When they had first met, he would have killed her if she'd been able to read his mind. Just two days ago, he would have used it to his advantage. She didn't think Eric would've advertised it, for either of their sake, but it would be too useful _not_ to use.

But the thing to strike her deepest in the chest? Today, Eric meant it when he called her beautiful and promised to never harm her.

"Even when people are being nice to me, they're thinking these awful, personal things about me," Sookie finished her explanation quietly, unable to look at him directly.

"How could anyone think badly of you?" Eric murmured, looking at her softly.

Sookie's blush returned with a grudge, and she ducked her head, staring down at her pillow top and not at the handsome deadman beside her. "You should, um, get some rest before the sun comes up."

Gaze no less tender, Eric nodded in understanding and slipped out of her bed, padding to the doorway with bare feet. His hair was mussed from how he had been laying on her bed.

"Sweet dreams," Sookie told him, rolling onto her back, blonde hair pushed back from her face.

Eric looked back at her, pausing in the doorway. "Vampires don't dream, Sookie." And then he was gone, out into the hallway, leaving her alone in bed.

Trying not to find a deeper meaning in his statement and pretending the bed didn't feel curiously lonely, Sookie stared up at the ceiling and sighed. She wouldn't be able to get back to sleep now. Rolling out of bed, Sookie started her morning routine.

Loosening her strict mental shields every so slightly, Sookie checked for minds with her telepathy. She could easily hear the staff at Bill's place but no one closer, except for the blank void in the cubby.

Sookie had never tested her full range, and she never planned to - even with a town as small as Bon Temps, she could easily drown in the voices and never find her way back into her own head. For all she knew, her curse could extend to Shreveport, and Sookie had no interest in listening to Fangbangers perv over Eric in the comfort of her own home.

Shaking her head at the thought, Sookie went outside and started practicing with her Light. Yesterday, she had been able to hit Thomas from pretty far away, and she'd been able to give Pam a small shock instead of sending the dead woman flying into a wall - Eric had that one covered for her.

Over the next hour, Sookie tried to see how far her Light would go. As it turned out, her Light would fly pretty damn far but her aim was poor. More often than not, Sookie would hit the wrong tree, blasting it into splinters. Between her increasing weariness and frustration, Sookie could spare little guilt for how she was damaging the woods.

The one improvement was her timing. With each shot, each flare of irritation and fear, her Light was drawn out of her much faster until she rarely had to delve back into her worst memories; the strong feelings were already there.

In a miserable mood, Sookie decided to stop - she needed to work the lunch shift, and nobody tipped a moody waitress.

The blonde telepath laid down on the grass, staring up into the sunny sky, water gun near her hand. Forbidding herself to think of Bill, Rene, Maryann, Russell Edgington or Mab, Sookie thought about Eric. Open, sweet, dork-ish Eric, who was now her responsibility.

Sookie could feel crushing weight pushing in on her from all sides. It was crazy that a waitress from the middle of nowhere would have so many enemies, even a telepathtic, Fae-blooded waitress. Witches, weres, Fairies, a creepy and bafflingly royal ex.

Bill was undoubtably a jerk, and he was going to be a problem for her and Eric, but Sookie stopped herself from hating him, though she had good reason. She wasn't about to become the petty, bitter ex over him, Gran raised her to be better than that.

Pushing aside her objections to what it implied about her feelings, Sookie closed her eyes and thought back to this morning, curled up _platonically_ in bed with Eric, feeling safe and secure because no Fairy could touch her.

Sookie's eyes snapped open, wide wth surprise as the memory of her dream came back to her.

Claude had been trying to warn her - about Claudine - and he'd called her cousin.

Sookie got the feeling he hadn't meant it in a _We're all family_ way, so much as an actual blood relation way. Alarm shot through her. Grabbing the lemon gun, horrified by how she had been trying to relax mere moments ago, Sookie bolted upright, whipping her head around to scan the yard.

Her racing heart calmed slightly when she saw her yard was empty but Sookie clambered to her feet anyway and raced inside, locking the back door beside her.

If Claudine was coming, how much time did she have? And how long would it be before she was torn away from her friends and family again?

Unconsciously, Sookie's dark eyes came to rest on the cubby doors, memories of a hand stroking her hair as fangs tore into her and a cool body in her bed, a mouth spilling truthful compliments, and two fierce, burning kisses played at the back of her mind. The best of Eric, the sweet and the sour.

Sookie felt a fierce stab of longing for the hard-hearted Eric with a thousand years of memories in his head. The man drove her nuts, shrill with senseless rage and thoughtless with passion, but he could manage without her, and she wasn't sure this Eric could.

Everyone else would carry on, that had been proven. It wasn't like Sookie wanted them to suffer, far from it, but it still hurt to know how little people needed her.

Only Eric hadn't given up on her, and she knew he hadn't been lying just by the way he'd looked at her on the porch.

One day, Sookie would have to sit down and think about that. The thought scared her, but Sookie was starting to think the feelings between her and Eric were deeper, from _both_ sides.

* * *

><p>"Sookie?" Alcide stared at her in surprise when he opened the door to see her.<p>

Sookie smiled at him nervously, feeling awkward to be bothering him again so soon. "Hey, Alcide - "

Before she could get another word out, Alcide swept her in a hug, lifting her off her feet. Startled into laughter, Sookie hugged him back, her mood lifting.

"Good to see you, too," she said.

"I couldn't hug you properly yesterday," Alcide said by way of explanation. Reluctantly, he put her down on the porch, grinning at her. "Not that I'm not glad to see you again, Sookie, but what are you doing?"

"Uh," Sookie pushed her hair back, discomfort seeping through her happiness. "I was hoping you knew something about witches."

Alcide's eyebrow went up. "Witches?" he stepped aside, and Sookie took the silent invitation, walking into his home. "You want to know about witches, now?"

"Yeah," Sookie said. Alcide must think that she was crazy by now - everything they saw each other, there was another Supe involved. "It's kind of a long story."

Alcide smiled at her. "It always is. Grab a seat."

"Thanks." Sookie walked into the living room and sat down.

Alcide sat beside her, hands on his long legs. "I'm surprised you came all the way here to ask for my help. Why didn't you ask Northman?"

Because Eric had no idea about anything anymore. Not wanting to lie to Alcide, Sookie hesitated, and Alcide gave her another look.

"Another long story?"

Sookie looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry, I wish I could tell you but you're a lot safer not knowing." It wasn't a refusal to tell him so much as a warning.

Understanding this, Alcide learned forward, looking worried. "Are you in danger, Sookie?"

Unable to stop herself from laughing, Sookie adverted her eyes to her lap before making herself look at him, smiling painfully. "Always."

"If you're in trouble, I can help," Alcide promised.

"Just telling me anything you know about witches would be a big help," Sookie said.

Alcide released a heavy sigh, glancing down himself before meeting her eyes. "I don't know much. Witches and Weres don't really attend the same social groups. But..." Alcide hesitated, and Sookie widened her doe eyes hopefully at him. "But Thomas would probably know."

"What?" Sookie asked, startled.

"His whole family is supernatural in one way or another."

"Oh." Sookie wasn't sure how she would go about asking Thomas for help.

"I could call him," Alcide offered.

He went to continue but Sookie picked up on the sound of footsteps, and looked around to see a woman appearing in the doorway. "Alcide -"

The woman froze, staring at her with wide eyes. She was tall, dressed in a long brown skirt and a blue shirt, blonde hair tumbling down her shoulders. There was a long, deep scar across her cheek.

It took Sookie a moment to recognize Debbie Pelt, but when she saw the scar, a rush of adrenaline shot through her, and she jumped to her feet.

Alcide stood up, holding out a hand to calm her. "Sookie, she - "

"I'm sorry for trying to kill you," Debbie blurted, causing silence to fall over the room. Sookie watched her warily. "I know that I owe you a big apology, and I woulda made amends a long time ago only we all thought you were dead."

Sookie's wariness turned to disbelief, and she glanced between Debbie and Alcide. Debbie looked at her earnestly, and Alcide couldn't meet her eyes.

"Debbie's been clean and sober for almost a year," Alcide offered, as though that was supposed to clear everything up.

"Wait. You tried to kill me," Sookie pointed out.

"Yeah," Debbie admitted.

"And now you're _apologizing_ to me?"

"I don't expect you to forgive me," Debbie said. Sookie raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms. "I was seriously fucked up at the time, pardon my french, but that ain't no excuse. But now I got the progan and I got Jesus on my side." Sookie's eyebrows hitched up another couple of inches. "And Alcide."

"Uh..." Sookie hesitated.

Part of her was screaming that this woman had _tried to kill her_, but another was more sympathetic. Sookie knew that people did awful things on drugs. Hadley had stolen her Gran's checkbook, and Jason had slapped her. Who was to say that Debbie Pelt wasn't a sweetie without all that V ramping up her temper?

But Debbie had chosen to break Alcide's heart, sleeping around on him, and then joining Edgington's pack before the V. Sookie had done some stupid, awful things last year, and she was trying to change as well but she would never be able to forget Debbie's mad grin as she tried to kill her, or watching Debbie being initiated into the pack.

"I don't think we'll ever be friends," Sookie said haltingly. "There's way too much bad blood between us but I guess I can forgive you for trying to kill me." Especially since Debbie had come out with the scars, not her.

Debbie's face lit up, splitting into a wide grin. She let out a relieved laugh. "Oh, thank you, Sookie." And then Debbie hugged her. Stiffening slightly, Sookie made herself return the embrace. "You are a much better person than I am."

"That's so sweet." And true. Sookie squeezed Debbie, before drawing back.

"Would you like to stay for lunch?" Debbie offered.

"Uh, I have to work the lunch shift at Merlotte's." Sookie pulled her bag over her shoulder, glancing back at Alcide. "Call me when you hear from Thomas?"

Lips pressed together, Alcide nodded. Turning back to Debbie with a tight smile, Sookie said, "It was real nice seeing you like this."

Then she left, highly conscious of her turned back and Debbie's gaze. Just before she got into her car, Alcide appeared on the porch. "Sookie, wait."

Sookie waited for him to jog to her side, angling her head back to look at Alcide's face. He seemed concerned and uncomfortable but not ashamed.

"Why didn't you tell me yesterday?" Sookie asked bluntly.

Alcide looked down. "I was afraid you wouldn't want to see me again."

Sookie glanced around, sighing. "She really does look good, healthy, and if you love her, if she loves you, then I'm happy for you. Besides, this does seem to be the week for changes."

Eric was a polite sweetheart, now, and Lord knows she was trying to change.

Lingering discomfort in his form, Alcide nodded. "About the witches..."

"Oh, it's nothing," Sookie said dismissively. The lie rolled easily off her tongue, gaining barely a twitch from her conscience. Alcide had kept things from her, so why should she feel pressured to tell him about Eric? Alcide had never been Eric's biggest fan, but then, neither had she. "Just a bunch of witches seem to be hanging around Bon Temps lately, and I'm a little worried."

She smiled genuinely at him over the roof of her car. "It was nice seeing you, Alcide."

Without letting him speak, Sookie got into her car and drove back to Bon Temps. Most of her shift passed by easily though Sookie was surprised not to see Jason. He had been coming into Merlotte's on his lunch shift since he'd gotten the job.

She made a mental note to call him as soon as her shift ended while scrawling down the orders of a group of leering teenagers. On her way to the kitchen, Sookie spotted Tara and went towards her.

"Hey Tara."

Tara turned to her, looking tense and anxious, and she took Sookie by the hand as soon as the blonde was close enough. "Sook, I need a favor."

"Okay," Sookie said, sitting at one of the empty booths, holding Tara's hand.

"I need you to talk to Eric Northman." Sookie felt herself stiffen at those words, keeping her tension from her face. "And beg him to forgive Lafayette."

Sookie frowned in confusion. What could Lafayette possibly do to Eric that would require forgiveness? Unless Lala was selling V again...but that was crazy. There was no way Lala would risk pissing Eric off like that again.

"For what?"

"He'll know," Tara said promptly.

No, he wouldn't. Eric couldn't remember whatever it was that Lafayette had done, and Pam would be far too busy trying to find the witches to bother with Lafayette, well, unless...no. No way. Lafayette wasn't a witch, and even if he had been, he was too afraid of Eric to hurt him.

"What if he doesn't?" Sookie asked absently.

"I...I went with Lafayette and Jesus to this Wicca circle that Holly and them are in, and Eric atacked us, and then one of the witches cast a spell on him to make him leave."

"_What_?" Sookie blurted, eyes widening. Her mind flitted back to how she had found Eric, lost on the side of the road, so scared and confused. Anger fizzled hotly through her blood, and Sookie let go of Tara's hand, leaning back in her seat, crossing her arms. "Do you know what kind of spell it was?"

"No," Tara said forcefully. Her best friend stared at Sookie, looking outraged. "And why do I get the feeling you're more worried about something happening to Eric then to, say, the leader of the circle who he bit, and me, who he tried to bite?"

"Oh my God." Anger at Tara for Eric battled with her concern for Tara because of Eric, and Sookie uncrossed her arms, softening. "Are you okay?"

"I'm more worried about Lafayette. He's freaking out. So would you square things with Eric?"

"I'll..." Sookie paused. With Eric as he was, Pam was in charge. If Pam ever found out that Lafayette was involved with the witches, she would go postal, and Sookie had no sway with Pam. It was best that Pam never found out. "I'll be happy to talk to Eric about this but I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?" Tara repeated, outraged and incredulous. "Sookie, you saw what he did to Lafayette for selling V, and now - "

"I haven't forgotten, trust me," Sookie took a deep breath. What Eric had done to Lafayette was one of the biggest reasons stopping her from giving in to him. "I just meant that Eric and Pam are pretty busy with this vampire thing, so I don't think Lafayette has anything to worry about right now, and I'll talk to Eric as soon as the sun goes down."

"Okay," Tara said, not entirely convinced but willing to trust Sookie. "Okay. Thanks, Sook. I owe you."

Sookie smiled at her friend, wide and false. "What are friends for?"

As Sam came over to hit on Tara, Sookie reflected that it had been the second time today that she'd lied to a friend for Eric. Tara had been her best friend for so many years and Alcide had done so much for her, but Sookie was more relieved than guilty.

The blonde telepath couldn't help but wonder how important protecting Eric was to her, how much more she would lie for him, as she excused herself from the table. Unnerved, Sookie realized she was willing to do a lot more than lie to protect him.

Since she still had the teenager's order, Sookie went over to Lafayette, pinning the order up.

"Hey Sook," he muttered, lacking his usual liveliness. Her friend glanced up at her, but his eyes came to Tara and Sam, and a thought passed through his head, so loud that Sookie was incapable of blocking it.

"Don't even think about it," snapped Sookie. Lafayette's beautiful brown eyes darted to her, startled, and she sighed. "Tara told me, and I'm going to talk to Eric about it, so don't do anything rash, just...keep your head down."

Lafayette narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't know, Sook. You really think that'll work, just talking to him?"

"It worked last time," she said, offering him a tight smile.

Leaving Lafayette looking uncertainly after her, trying not to pick up on his worries of exactly what Eric would ask of her in exchange this time, Sookie went back to her tables, a smile plastered across her face.

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><p>It was dark when Sookie got off work, and she entered her home with some curiosity, wondering what Eric would be doing. His cubby was open. With a sigh, she closed the doors. He wasn't down stairs, so she checked upstairs. He wasn't in her bedroom, and she couldn't hear the shower.<p>

"Damnit," Sookie swore, a sense of panic gripping her when she realized Eric must have gone out.

Fuck, fuck fuck. What if he ran into Bill? What if the witches found him? Sookie tore down the stairs, frantic worries running through her head. She stopped abruptly just before opening the front door.

What about Claudine? Claude hadn't been able to give her a time or date of when Claudine was dropping by. If she found Sookie, would she be able to escape her godmother?

For a moment, Sookie hesitated. But the Fae didn't need an invitation into her house, and either way, she _couldn't_ sit around the house, terrified that something would happento Eric.

Snatching her small water gun from her purse and tucking it into her waistband, Sookie opened the door and went outside. She searched for a void mind with her telepathy, and found four across the graveyard at Bill's, and another in the woods, not far from her house.

As she sensed the four voids, Sookie felt one of them vanishing - staked. It was a strange sensation, though not one Sookie had never experienced for, and it only doubled her desperation to find Eric. Sookie burst out of the house, slamming the door behind her and hurrying down the steps.

There was a blinding flash of light behind her, and Sookie whirled, almost tripping in her hurry, inhaling sharply, eyes stinging from the light.

"Sookie," said Claudine gently, taking a step forward. "You must come with me."

Sookie recoiled, stumbling backwards. "I'm not going anywhere with you again."

The warm rush of similarity sang through her blood, reminding her that this woman was of the same blood in a way that Jason would never be, but Sookie shook it off as easily as a vampire's glamour.

Jason was her _brother_, and Claudine was the woman who had tricked her as surely as Bill.

Sookie's anger broiled, feeling too grand for her small body. Her blood bubbled hotly, fizzling like lava moments before a volcanic eruption. A sensation of power swept down her arm, golden like the sun and all hers, made of anger and fear and a lingering twinge of protectiveness for Eric.

Claudine glanced down at her hands, noticing the dawning glow, like the rising sun. "I beg you to reconsider. It is not safe for you here. We are your true family, Sookie. We will keep you safe."

"It is not safe for me there!" Sookie exclaimed. The white-gold glow of her hands swelled, growing stronger. "I de-clawed your Queen in front of her people, I've had my dumb moments but I'm not stupid enough to think there wouldn't be consequences for that."

"Queen Mab bears no grudge."

"I sure as hell do!" Sookie cried. The strong emotions she felt were becoming unbearable. Her bones rattled with the raw power shooting down her arms, and the anger was too much, too hot. The Light burst wildly out of her fingertips, and the release of pressure made Sookie stumbled.

Claudine couldn't move fast enough; the Light struck her square in the chest, and her godmother was flung screaming backwards, into the woods. Where Eric was.

Unsure of exactly how worried she should be, Sookie staggered into the woods, feeling Eric's void mind moving at a rapid speed. She ran towards the void mind, almost there when Claudine let out a scream - and Eric's mind stopped in one place.

"Eric!"

Hearing Eric's animalistic snarls, a shiver running through her as she remembered when she'd last heard that sound, Sookie finally caught sight of them and skidded to a stunned stop a few feet from them.

Eric was bent over Claudine, tearing at her neck, fangs sunk in deeply. A few small sparks shot out of Claudine's hand before her cousin's form went limp, screams falling silent, body becoming limp. Claudine's form began to change, beautiful human body turning into her true self, the pointed-eared Fae.

Eric drew slowly back, mouth covered in thick, red blood, fangs down. As he did, Claudine started to shake before bursting into glittery silver ashes, falling all over Eric and the forest floor. The silvery ashes slipped through Eric's fingers, like sand.

"Eric!" Sookie gasped, finally finding her voice. Eric looked at her, a strangely loose expression on his face. "You killed my cousin!"

Releasing an oddly giggling sound, Eric grinned at her sheepishly, like a naughty child, a drop of blood dripping from his chin. "Sorry."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary: Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.**

**I do not want to be one of those writers who throw hissy fits and demand a certain amount of reviews, but I get dozens of alerts and my review numbers keep taking a stern hit. **

**Review for Naked!Eric.**

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><p>The first thing Sookie did was push aside her outrage - which was more to the blatant murder than <em>who <em>he had murdered, and, yeah, she would need to lay down the law on _that_ issue as soon as possible.

"Eric," Sookie said firmly, clutching her water gun tightly, sneaking a glance around. The forrest was too open, who knows what could be hiding in the trees? Well, Eric would but he was currently more interested in the glittery ashes in his palm. "We're like sitting ducks out here. We need to get inside. Come on."

Eric's blue eyes flitted to her, dazed and unfocused. Worried, Sookie started forward, ready to drag him inside if needed be. Eric swayed, eyes sliding shut, and then he pitched over, landing face first in the dirt.

"Eric!" Sookie hissed, barely able to stop herself from crying out. Thoughtlessly, she hurried to his side, kneeling down with more care, mindful of provoking his bloodlust. "Eric," she repeated softly, reaching out to touch his golden hair.

It was soft under her fingertips, and she ignored the instinctive urge to stroke his hair, though she had a moment of vivid imagination of doing so - of every blonde strand sliding through her fingers - before the potential threat hammered into her mind.

Claude hadn't warned her of anyone else but he'd hardly had the time. They needed to get inside.

Eric groaned softly, and Sookie felt a twinge of fear. Bill had gotten sick on Maryann's blood. Did Fae blood have the same effect? Eric had been fine on her blood before but she wasn't pure Fae.

"Do that again," Eric demanded, slurring his words and lifting his head slightly.

"What?" asked Sookie, face scrunching up in confusion.

"My hair, do that again." His head rose even more, pinning her with a..._stoned_, pleading look. "Please?"

"Okay," Sookie said, voice slightly higher in panic. "Real funny, Eric, but we have to get inside. If there are more of them - " They would be in _so_ much trouble.

"I can eat them," he came to a different conclusion, blissful smile spreading across his face.

Sookie stared at him, mouth half-open as she tried to think of something to say in response to that. "Are you..." her voice started out hesitant but grew incredulous. "Are you _high_?"

Eric _laughed_ at her playfully. "No. I'm on the floor, Sookie." His light blue eyes dropped to the dirt, and then looked back up at her. "It's...squishy."

Sookie blinked at him. "Err...yeah, I guess it is," she agreed tentatively before trying something else. "Why don't you come inside where the floor isn't so squishy?"

"I like it." All of a sudden, Eric was up on his knees, staring intently at her, bloody mouth curving into a pretty-boyish grin. "I like you more."

Before Sookie could react, Eric fell forward again, resting his head on her shoulder, nuzzling her neck with his hot, wet mouth. Her skin tingled, nerves sparking with pleasure, heart pounding, and Sookie had to resist the urge to giggle at the sensation which was both sensual and ticklish.

A hot blush rushed to her cheeks, and she half-heartedly squirmed away. "Eric, cut it out! You're getting blood in my hair!"

"You smell so nice," Eric told her blissfully, no trace of the scary hunger in his voice, but plenty of the other hunger. His large hand cupped her hip, holding her in place, stopping her from pulling away from him. "So beautiful and kind."

Her heart skipped a beat, pumping blood clumsily through her body. Sookie felt her stomach fluttering, as a pleasant sensation of falling came over her, filling her with adrenaline and making her painfully aware of Eric's lukewarm body.

Eric was pressed closely to her, hand claiming her hip with ease, nuzzling her neck with more affection than hunger. His slow, savouring breath fanned across her neck, making her nipples tighten and a white-hot shock of heat shot down her spine.

Her smaller, softer frame molded into his like a puzzle piece. _It was_, Sookie thought, leaning into his caress with no thought of Faries or any fear of his vampire nature, eyes sliding closed, water gun slipping unnoticed from her fingers, _like this was meant to happen..._

Sookie moved her hand to his hair, curling her fingers into his short golden hair, entranced by the silky texture. Eric stopped breathing, pressing his forehead into her neck, mouthing an unbearably sweet kiss to her collarbone. His chest rumbled against hers, purring like a giant jungle cat...

"Eric..." Sookie sighed, moaning the word out sweetly.

"Sookie," Eric sighed, and then a small, happy giggle slipped out of his mouth. The sound hit her hard between the eyes.

He wasn't himself, in more ways than one. He had killed her cousin. He was nuzzling her throat so sweetly with a mouth covered in blood. He was Eric Northman, and all she wanted to do was slam him to the ground and sink down on him until he was deep inside of her.

It took every inch of Sookie's restraint to slid her hands from his golden blonde hair to his shoulder, and push him gently away. Letting her, Eric moaned openly in disappointment.

"_Sookie_."

Sookie swallowed, blinking the dark spots out of her eyes, feeling herself throb with longing. "We can't do this. _I_ can't do this."

"Why not?" Eric asked, seeming genuinely curious.

If she slept with Eric, memory or not, it wasn't a decision to be made were a million reasons that she couldn't, shouldn't, even care about him but she did. It was stupid and reckless but so true, and there was undoubtably something more to her feelings for him.

The thought was frightening. How could she even consider the possibility of...of loving Eric? Even as a friend/enemy. She barely knew him, and what she did know was not very compelling, or it shouldn't be. But he was deep under her skin, and she felt more passionately about him than she ever had with Bill.

But he was a total jerk, and she simply could _not_ imagine Eric being _her_ boyfriend, and she wouldn't share him, so that should be it. It might have been it if Eric hadn't lost his memory, and gained access to every single heart string she possessed.

"Eric, there are a _thousand_ answers to that question," Sookie answered quickly, standing up hurriedly. Her legs were weak but they held. Slumped on his knees, Eric came up to her belly button. He was so_ impossibly _tall. "If you want, I'll tell you inside."

Eric's eyes darkened at the word inside, and her knees almost buckled at the clear direction his thoughts had taken.

"I don't want to go inside," Eric grumbled petulantly, pouting up at her.

"Well, you have to."

"I don't have to do anything," Eric declared, climbing unsteadily to his feet. He swayed towards her, eyes alight with a simple happiness, a wide, delighted grin breaking across his face. Fangs were still down. "Come play with me, Sookie."

Sookie shook her head at him in disbelief. "No way! Eric, it isn't safe, being out here. We _have_ to get back to the house. Hurry!"

Eric looked disappointed, but she assumed he'd finally got the message. Feeling the faint stirrings of relief, Sookie turned around, hearing a faint laugh from behind her and promptly _yelped_. Whirling around in surprise, she pinned Eric with a shocked look.

"Did you just pinch my butt?"

Eric circled her, head lowered, eyes hungry. There was a mesmerizing grace to his movements, even now, and Sookie forced herself not to stand still and just watch him move. "Beautiful butt," Eric told her with a lewd grin.

"Well, thanks," Sookie said, slightly startled at the appearence of _that _grin. Possessing eyes, Sookie had noticed that Eric had a world class butt on the first night she'd met him.

"I watched you walk up the ladder yesterday," Eric informed her, running his eyes up and down her body, lingering on her legs. He laughed again, drunken and slightly hysterical. "I couldn't look away."

"Eric!" she protested, blushing hotly, stopping.

The feeling of pleasure enflamed her chest, but she couldn't help but feel a little scandalised at his very plainly expressed desire. But the lust burned hotter, more powerful than her Light even. She'd always known Eric wanted her. and he'd certainly expressed it before, but it felt heavier now.

More of a possibility than a dirty dream to leave her shaking in bed, unable to catch her breath.

Eric reacted to his name, blurring in front of her. His head was lowered, and he loomed over her, a single inch seperating their lips. The burning cinders in Sookie's lower stomach flared up, and she inhaled shakily, eyes widening.

"I like it when you say my name," he whispered, words hitting her low in the stomach, breath fanning over her face.

It was only the blood on his face that kept Sookie from leaning forward and pressing her lips to his. Shaking her head, she clung to a thin shred of reason. "It'll be dawn soon..."

Eric laughed. "I don't care."

His recklessness stabbed at her, provoking a fierce stab of fear. "You will when your skin starts bubbling off!"

Eric let out another laugh. "Watch me." So fast that she could only detect a large black-clad blur, Eric zipped off into the woods.

"_Eric_!" Sookie cried, looking around frantically. The woods was silent, empty. Her eyes widened in horror. Oh, shit. The Fae blood would protect him from the sun, but for _how long_? A cold wave of terror crept up on Sookie, freezing her to the spot. What if...no, no time to panic, she needed to find him, _now_.

"ERIC!" Once again, there was no response.

Sookie's first urge was to run off into the forest and look for him but if he wasn't responding to her calls, he didn't want to be found. And if a vampire didn't want to be found, they weren't found. He needed to find her.

Praying desperately that Eric was close enough and Bill was far away, Sookie sucked in a breath and let out a loud, blood-curdling, wordless scream. There was a thunderous smash from deep in the woods, like a tree falling, and then the heavy slam of frantic, vampire-speed footsteps. The same black-clad blur burst out of the woods amist a cloud of detached green leaves, the speed making Sookie gasp in surprise.

Without pausing, Eric flitted around her in a circle that made her head spin, before crouching with his back to her, hands yanking her small body into his broad back, and releasing a loud, feral hiss aimed at whatever had made her scream.

"Eric," Sookie gasped, laying a tentative hand on his back, feeling the rock-hard muscle easing slightly under her soothing touch. "It's okay. I'm okay, I'm fine, really."

"You screamed," he muttered, whirling on her in vamp speed. His blue eyes were dark and intense, filled with a wildly protective rage that made her heart _thump_ from a strong emotion that she could not name, and his fangs were down, sharp and very long, glinting at her from his bloody mouth.

Sookie arched an eyebrow at him. "Well, I had to get your attention somehow."

Eric's fangs retracted with a disbelieving click. "You..._tricked_ me?"

"You wanted me to play with you, so I did."

"I didn't mean that kind of playing," Eric mumured petulantly, saying exactly the thing to make her cheeks flush.

"Eric," she hissed in protest.

Eric gave her that stoned, childish grin, snorting with giddy laughter at her expression. "You want to play with me?" he sounded sweetly hopeful.

Feeling a painful twinge of affection at his innocent tone, Sookie nodded stiffly. "But not _that_ kind of playing."

Eric beamed at her, lunging forward, ignoring her startled shriek, and hauling her easily over his shoulder. From her current position, Sookie had an excellent view of his behind, clad in his _wonderfully_ tight jeans, and the instinctive urge to appreciate the view stopped her from struggling instantly.

Before she could start screaming at him to put her down, Eric burst into a run, laughing like a maniac and reaching up to palm her 'beautiful butt'. Sookie was too busy trying not to throw up - though it _would_ serve him right - and clutching at his shoulders to slap his hand away.

She got the feeling he'd planned that. Some things never changed.

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><p>"<em>No<em>!" Sookie said for the fifth time, shaking her head furiously.

"Please?" Eric coaxed, walking backwards to keep her in his sight, perfectly avoiding any trees with his super senses. His eyes were wide and hopeful, light blue turned puppy-dog pleading, but the drying blood around his mouth detracted from the adorable image somewhat.

"For the last time, I'm not gonna blast you - who knows what could happen?" Sure, Sookie had blasted Pam, but Pam had been attacking her and there hadn't been a bunch of trees around for accidental staking.

Eric laughed, placing his huge hands on her shoulders to stop her from moving, and digging his thumbs into the tense muscles there. It hurt a little, but in a good way. "Shhh, shhh, it'll be okay, just blast me. I wanna see."

It was almost dawn, and the two of them had been walking around for the better part of an hour. Eric was stoned to all hell, and unexpectedly chatty. She'd never heard him laugh before, let alone so much. Sookie hoped he avoided the munchies, otherwise, he _would_ be getting blasted.

"I won't blast you, but I'll blast something else. Just...stand back." Eric backed away from her with another impish laugh, and Sookie turned her back to him. She could feel him zipping directly behind her and forced herself not to smile adoringly at his strange clingy actions.

Extending her hands, Sookie closed her eyes and thought about the night Bill's lies had been exposed. How Eric had cruelly dropped the bomb on her while casually picking the cerment out of his hair, Bill's tears and unconvincing pleas, so arrogant, so fucking degrading...

Within a second, Sookie's blood boiled, sparks shooting down her arm, hot and electrical. The power gathered, coiling through her, as bright as an exploding star.

"Stop," Eric's voice cut through her haze, a commanding hint in his deep but softened voice. Long, strong arms wrapped around her, hugging her form to him. "Sookie, stop."

Sookie's eyes snapped open, power retreating into herself with a snap that made her sway dizzily back into Eric's chest. "What?" she murmured, confused and barely understanding why. "I thought you wanted to see - "

"You were in pain," Eric explained, pushing his face into the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent deeply. The thought passed though Sookie's mind that maybe she should be worried, considering how high he was, but she just _wasn't_. "It upset you."

Eric was solid and steady against her, and Sookie was unable to stop herself from melting back into him. She was tired, running on so little sleep from yesterday, and knocking Claudine away had zapped her remaining energy worryingly, and for some reason, she (had always) trusted him, and it was so easy to just let him take all her weight...and drift away.

Quickly losing himself to the Faerie blood, Eric kissed her neck, committing the taste of her skin to his long, long memory and swept the tiny woman into his arms, blasting off at vampire speed into the woods, craddling his precious sleeping future lover close to him. She was so warm, so kind but so sad, so scared. He wanted to take care of her, love her, as she had him. Though she seemed to have difficulty admitting her feelings to herself.

He would convince her to accept them, Eric decided, racing around a tree he'd slammed his shoulder into in his hurry to get back to her after hearing her terrifying scream. Eric knew he could make her happy, and he would never allow any of the people who scared her so much, that Bill and whoever else, to harm her. He was in love with her already. He could sense it in his own blood, but if it was possible, he had fallen in love with her twice.

Ducking his head, Eric placed a tender kiss to her hairline. In her sleep, her hand curled into his shirt, and joy sang through the vampire. Her conscious actions were confused but her subconscious ones were clear.

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><p>Sookie was woken up by movement. Vibration against her thigh, her phone. Groaning weakly, feeling the sun burning into her eyelids, Sookie yawned and was hit by a nice smell. It was cool, like ice, like the ocean. It was Eric's scent. She loved it...but her phone, she needed to answer it. When Sookie moved her arm to get up, grass tickled her skin.<p>

In a flash, a trainwreck of memories crashed into Sookie's mind, and she catapolted upright, weariness overtaken by an icy cold, desperate terror. "Eric!"

Dimly realizing that she was wearing Eric's shirt over her work clothes, she looked around frantically, big brown eyes darting around. She was beside the creak, and the sunlight was hitting the water beautifully but Sookie had never hated sunlight so much in her entire life. "Eric!"

The water rippled, and then Eric rose from the water like a sea god, dripping wet, pale blonde hair darkened to a golden color and plastered to his scalp, exactly like she'd pictured. The water poured down his exquisite pale-as-snow chest, and, yes, she stared, heart stuttering with overwhelming relief, memorising the sight. He beamed at her excitedly, unbothered by the sun, opening his arms wide in welcome. "Hey, Sookie!"

Good _Lord_.

"Hey...Eric..." Sookie replied faintly, eyebrows arched high, mouth parted in amazement. She tried not to look for his pants or even wonder if he had any pants on.

She was betting not but there was only so much denial could do for her restraint.

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><p><strong>For those of you who have read my poll or just plain like my writing, I've uploaded another SE fic. Have fun, my loves. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary: **Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.

**Whoa. I think that was my highest review count since the second chapter...I'll cross my fingers and hope we can match it with this one. **

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><p>"Come! Come play with me. It's wonderful in here!" Eric exclaimed in delight. Sookie had to agree; the <em>view<em> was certainly wonderful from where she was standing. But the thought of the sun burning him was a sickening one. "I am Ægir, God of the Sea," he declared, matter-of-fact, "and you are Rán, my Sea Goddess."

"Eric, now really isn't the time to play!" Sookie retorted, not even considering going anywhere near the water. Ever since her parents' death, she had been terrified of open water. "There's big gators in there, you crazy Viking." Letting out a crazy laugh, Eric drove through the water gracefully. "Come out before they bite something I'm sure you'll miss off!"

Eric leaned back in the water, spitting out a jet of the lake from his mouth, and Sookie grimaced, making a mental note to force some mouth wash on him later. "Leave the sun and the water? No! I'll just kill all the sea monsters!"

Sookie watched with wide eyes as Eric stood, muscles coiling threateningly, staring around at the water intensely. "Gators," he hissed. "Krokodiler! Show yourselves!" Against her will, Sookie found herself grinning slightly at his antics. It was so unlike Eric, so cute and boyish. "Cowards!"

"I bet you were a hellion as a kid," Sookie said, shaking her head with a soft laugh when Eric splashed the water at thin air.

Eric beamed at her. "I like your laugh," he declared adoringly. His words made Sookie blush, amusement fading. "Come laugh with me - you look so lovely in the sun."

"Sea monsters, Eric," Sookie reminded him. "They might be scared of you, but I can promise you, they'll see me as fair game."

Happiness gone in a flash, Eric let out a frightening hiss of rage. "Never!" his eyes dropped to the water, prowling for gators with more murderous wrath than before. It was not entirely unlike how Eric had looked at Edgington as the two burned together.

Crazy, _Stoned_ Viking.

"I'll be safe inside," Sookie offered, making another desperate attempt at getting him inside where it was safe.

"You're safe with me," Eric told her, lifting his eyes from the murky water to give her that beautiful blue stare, pouting petulantly.

Mouth drying, mind stumbling under his gaze, Sookie was saved from stuttering through an answer by the ring of her cell. Pushing Eric's dark green shirt up, she grabbed the phone from her work shorts, and answered it.

"Hello?" she said absently. In the water, Eric leaned back again, bobbing on the water, pale skin soaking up the sun.

"Hello Angel," Thomas greeted her, a sardonic amusement in his rumbling voice. If there was one voice that could tear her eyes from Eric's form, it was that one.

"_Thomas_?" Sookie asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Abruptly, she recalled her visit to Alcide, and she half turned away from Eric. "Thanks for calling me. Did - "

With her eyes off Eric, she did not see his head snapping up at the sound of another male's voice. Sookie had the split second warning of the air wooshing around his form, and whirled around. She came face-to-ribcage with Eric, gasping in surprise.

Eric snatched the phone out of her hand with vamp speed, twisting his upper body around fluidly, and flinging her cell into the woods.

"Eric, what the hell?" Sookie exclaimed. Even the brief glimpse of his naked butt couldn't cool her baffled fury, though it was a nice mental image for later. It took heroic effort not to glance between his legs for an even better mental image.

"Who was he?" Eric demanded, whirling on her, fangs extended - not threateningly, but he was clearly angry.

_Not angry_, Sookie realized suddenly, _but jealous_.

The realization made her blink, looking at him in a whole new way. While Eric had never made his lust for her a secret, he had never been jealous of Bill. Sookie wasn't sure how to feel about his jealousy, maybe it was a result of the Faerie blood? He was acting pretty wacky.

"Someone who might've known something about the witches who messed with your brain!" Sookie retorted hotly, crossing her arms.

"Oh..."

"Yeah, oh," she sniped.

The sound of Eric's fangs retracting seemed distinctly sheepish, as did the grin on his face, and the grip on her arm when he pulled her into his naked form, folding her easily into his arms in a hug.

All thoughts of berating him further died quietly in her throat. A gentle wave of relaxation moved through Sookie, making her arms automatically hug him back. Eric purred approvingly, nuzzling deep into her throat, chest rumbling against her. He took her hair down, and weaved his fingers deep into her blonde hair.

His skin was smooth and wet under her fingertips, naked to the touch. Heat engulfed Sookie at the thought, heart catching in her throat, a sharp pang of pleasure in her lower gut, stealing her breath. A sense of nervous excitement made Sookie feel light-headed.

Her feelings for him - light and bright and happy but unmistakably romantic - drove any other thoughts out of her head. Slowly, nervously, Sookie drew back from the hug, soft cheek sliding against the raspy stubble on his. Eric moved perfectly with her until their foreheads were pressed together, breathing softly into each others mouth.

The sheer want, the wild desire and painful affection (_love_), in his darkened eyes hit her with the force of a tornado, and Sookie pressed her mouth tentatively to his. His lips were soft, welcoming her eagerly, but he kept to her pace, gifting her with soft, gentle kisses.

Their lips moved together carefully, though the fierce emotions broiling inside of them both would not allow it to remain sweet for long.

Sookie's heart felt ready to explode in her chest as she held Eric close, back arched to reach his lips, feeling him big and hard against her hip. Eric was looming over her, giant frame touching her with deceptive gentleness. While one hand remained in her hair, the other was stroking down her spine hungrily, possessively.

As the wicked thought of rolling her hips against his dick entered Sookie's mind, Eric twitched against her, pain tightening his muscles. With new desperation, he kissed her, and Sookie was forced to pull back, gasping for air.

Her blonde hair was mussed, her lips were wet and reddened, but her dark eyes were wild not with lust, but fear. "Eric?"

Eric had lowered to kiss her, and she pulled him close, grasping him by the back of the neck, pulling his head to her shoulder. His back was pickened. While they were kissing, he had been burning.

"I didn't notice," he muttered flatteringly.

"No, no, no," Sookie moaned in horror, tightening her arms around him. Her happiness was destroyed by a fierce, crazed terror. Her mind scrambled frantically, running at a rapid speed, as desperation tried to send her into a wild panic.

Like a train, the solution hit her, and Sookie didn't think twice, focused purely on saving Eric as she pressed her wrist to his mouth and ordered, "Bite me."

A soft groan left Eric's lips, somehow managing to intensify the fear Sookie was feeling. "Promised I wouldn't hurt you."

Sookie clutched him tighter, pressing his head into her chest protectively, trying to shield him from the sun with her small body. "Don't be an idiot; _I'm_ the one tellin' you to bite me!" Eric shook his head stubbornly, lips brushing over the vein in her wrist.

Tears burned Sookie's eyes and spilled over, pouring down her face. "It's okay, Eric," she crooned softly, rocking him soothing against her. "I know you won't hurt me. I trust you. _Please_."

"Sookie..." Eric moaned her name, packing so many meanings in one word. His lips formed a kiss directly on her pulse point, and her heart skipped a beat, an overwhelming burst of emotions exploding within her - blinding relief, and a hot throb of arousal.

His fangs came down with a click, and he bit down carefully on her wrist, fangs sliding home almost painlessly, blood flooding eagerly into his mouth. Eric moaned, loud and delighted, that hungry vampire purr rumbling deeply through his form.

Sookie kissed the back of his neck, relieved by how gentle he was being, how controlled. She kept her mouth close to his skin as she whispered, "As soon as you're done, run back home - vamp speed. I'll catch up."

Eric's hand curled around her wrist, gripping her tightly, protest loud and clear in the motion.

"Don't argue with me," Sookie said firmly. "I'm not the one vulnerable to sunlight."

Eric's shoulders were returning to their normal color, and they shrugged, as if to concede her point. Eric swallowed another few mouthfuls of her blood before reluctantly disengaging, tongue pressing flat over the punture wounds and licking forcefully until they closed.

Sparks went up and down her body, burning hotly in her lower body, at the feel of his tongue on her skin. "Go on," Sookie said, more hoarsely than she had intended, forcing her arms to unwind from him. "Back home."

Eric looked back at her painfully, mouth free of any traces of her blood, and at her urgent glare, shot off through the woods in a naked blur. Sookie watched him go, biting her bottom lip anxiously, praying that he made it home before her blood wore off.

Giving herself a sharp shake, Sookie made a step towards the direction where he'd thrown her phone - if Thomas called Alcide, if Alcide saw Eric so close to helpless - and faltered. Her vision span dizzily, legs weakening under her at the shift in weight. Sookie held her ground stubbornly and pushed herself through the motions of walking.

Eric hadn't thrown her phone as far as he could have. It was a mere twenty-thirty feet from the water, though it felt more like a hundred. Wishing she could call Eric, Sookie sank down on a nearby log with his long jeans in her lap, and hit re-dial.

The phone was answered instantly. "Sookie?"

"Thomas," Sookie greeted, wincing in guilt at the clear worry ringing out in his voice.

"Are you alright?" he demanded. "I hear something, and then the line went dead - what happened? It sounded like a bloody vampire."

Sookie laughed, sounding perfect casual, if a little flirty. "I sure hope not. If vampires started day-walking, we would be in a world of trouble."

"Tell me about it," Thomas said wryly. "I'm still dodging Compton's calls."

Sookie paused, feeling another twinge of guilt. "I'm sorry, Thomas, I - "

"You don't have anything to apologize for," Thomas said firmly in his English accent. "It was a dodgy job, and I deserved to get knocked on my arse for even thinking about taking it up."

"You aren't in any trouble?"

"Nah," he said dismissively. "Compton is an annoying Queen, nothing more. I told him you caught me, and gave me the dressing down of my life. I doubt he'll try to pull the same shit twice but if he does, I wouldn't do whatever you did to me."

"Believe me, I won't," Sookie promised. If there had been any other Weres in her woods, she would have borrowed a gun from Jason and given them a good scare. When there wasn't 6'4 of Viking flinging themselves in her path, Sookie was an excellent shot.

"Now, as much as I enjoy chatting with you, Angel, I'm betting you want to get down to business but you're too polite to say so." _Caught me_, she thought, smiling as she heard Thomas' flirty, unoffended tone. "I don't know why you're looking into witches, as they tend to be mostly fakes and the ones that aren't tend to be insufferable, but I do know a bit."

Antitipation gave Sookie an energy boost, and she took advantage of it, pushing off the log and starting to walk home.

"My cousin told me there was a disturbance in the force - "

"The Force?" Sookie repeated, amused.

"Well, she actually said a bunch of wishy-washy hippy rubbish," Thomas said, sounding put-out at her amusement. "It works better this way. Anyway, that was a few nights ago." Right around when Eric had been memory-wiped. "There aren't many covens kicking around, and I've narrowed it down to one group. The leader, Marine, owns an Occult shop here in Shreveport."

"That's great!" Sookie said excitedly. "What's it called?"

"Ah." Thomas said, sounding faintly embarrassed. "Here is the part where you hold your laughter back. The shop is called the Moon Goddess Emporium."

It was such a corny name that Sookie had to bite down on a giggle. "Thanks a lot, Thomas," she said sincerely. "This helps a whole lot."

"You're welcome, Angel," Thomas said warmly. "When should I pick you up?"

Startled, Sookie stopped walking. "Pick me up?"

"Yeah." Thomas paused, and then said slowly, disbelievingly, "Angel, do you really think I'd let you run off after a woman who has managed to terrify most of the witches in the world without a face-to-face meeting?"

Sookie arched an eyebrow at the phone, hand going to her hip. "For the record, no one lets me do anything," Sookie said in a strong though calm voice. "But I can see where you're coming from, and I will accept your help."

"Sorry," Thomas said shamefully, grimace coming across in his voice. "I didn't mean to come across like such an overbearing prick. I just really hate the thought of having to stalk you from the shadows again."

Sookie nodded slowly. "That's okay. I have things to do today, but tomorrow would be good for me." She had the morning shift with Holly Cleary but she got off before the lunch shift. "One?"

"Tomorrow is my day off. One is perfect."

* * *

><p>Before going inside, Sookie grabbed the pack of True Blood from the boot of her car. They were hot to the touch but she figured Eric would like them better that way. She ran into the house, locking the door behind her, tossing his jeans blindly towards the couch, and pulling open the cubby doors.<p>

Sookie caught a glimpse of Eric around the cubby, pacing at vamp speed, before he zipped to the bottom of the ladder, staring up at her with a pair of huge, relieved light blue eyes. "Sookie..."

Sookie mirrored his relief, tension draining out of her form. From what she could see of his skin, which was plenty considering he was only wearing a pair of jeans, Eric was as beautiful and unblemished as always. But the fear nagged at her relentlessly; what if he wasn't? She needed to see for herself.

"Move back," she told him, balancing the True Blood on her hip, and starting to climb down. As soon as she had closed the doors, a pair of huge hands curled around her hips and lowered her easily down to the floor. Before Sookie could react, the True Blood was out of her arms, and she was held closely in Eric's.

Her eyes locked on his face, searching for any discomfort, any pain, and his hands ran all over her back, fearful of the same thing she was. "I was scared you wouldn't be fast enough."

"You took so long," Eric murmured, leaning forward to press his nose to her hair, lips on her forehead. Sookie stepped closer to him, running her hands over his back. All of his skin was smooth and deceptively youthful, muscles tight and strong. "I was worried, too," he confessed, smiling sheepishly against her forehead.

His sweetness made Sookie's arms tighten around him, a glow of affectionate warmth shining strong in her chest, before she pulled back, tilting her head back to look at his face. Obligingly, Eric lowered for her, so they could look each other in the eye. The box of True Blood was at his feet.

"Are you hungry?" Sookie asked.

A dreamy look came over Eric's face, and she bet he was remembering the taste of her blood. "No. Your blood is magnificent."

Unsure of how to feel about that, Sookie switched topics. "You need to get some rest." Eric frowned down at her, though he allowed her to move him backwards until he was sitting on the bed. She pushed lightly at his shoulders."Lay down."

"No, no." Eric shook his head, and Sookie frowned at him, removing her hands from his shoulders.

"If you don't sleep, you'll get the bleeds, and I think one near death experience was enough for today."

Eric narrowed his eyes at her. "I know what the bleeds are," he said flatly. "It won't kill me."

Sookie smiled wearily at him. "Yeah but it will make a mess that _I'm_ not cleaning up." Eric stared at her stubbornly, and sighing, Sookie decided to try a new approach, sitting beside him. "What is it?" she asked, not having to fake her concern.

Eric turned his head to look at her, blue eyes searing through her. "We kissed."

Sookie's eyes darted away from him, a blush reaching her cheeks. It had been a wonderful kiss, one that gave her butterflies, and the memory turned her on. But she really didn't want to have this conversation when she felt so conflicted. "Well...yeah."

Eric shifted closer to her, touching his chin gently, making her wide eyes dart back to his face. "May I kiss you again?"

His eyes were so mesmorizing that Sookie barely caught the question. She blinked heavily a few times, doe eyes distracted, feeling almost glamoured by the dazzling intensity in his eyes.

"I...don't think that would be a good idea," she said weakly, conviction automatic and faltering.

Eric could have shattered her conviction with a small push but instead he gave a small nod. There was something in his expression that reminded her of the other Eric, just after their kiss in her kitchen. Not jumping with glee at her choice but accepting it - for now. The thought of the two Eric's having anything in common except a handsome face was a staggering one.

Shaking her head, Sookie stood up, but Eric made an abortive move to follow her. His eyes were soft and open, pleading. "Would you stay?"

Sookie hesitated. If she stayed, there was no telling what could happen, but...she wanted...she wanted to stay with him. She was shaken up by what _could_ have happened, that was it. It had nothing to do with his vulnerable face, and puppy dog eyes.

"If I stay, will you sleep?" Sookie fired back.

"Yes," he agreed instantly.

Sookie nodded, trying not to feel nervous. Lord, it wasn't like she hadn't been cuddled up in bed with Eric before. "Okay," she said mostly to herself.

As she approached the bed, wearing his dark green shirt over her work clothes, Eric scooted backward, laying down with his head on the pillow, blue eyes glued to her form. Eric watched her move with the same intensity as if she was peeling her clothes off. Blushing, Sookie laid down stiffly beside him. Though the bed was not made for two people, Sookie was small enough to fit beside his tall, muscular form.

Eric rolled to his side, facing at her, a silent request in his eyes. Sookie sighed at him but obliged, turning on her side to face the wall. Eric snuggled up to her, pressing himself against her back, face buried in her long hair, arm snaking around her waist, legs tangling with hers. Though she tried to fight it, Sookie's lips formed a warm smile.

The only movement Eric made was the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed her scent in. Soon, that stopped as well. But it was a while before Sookie could drag herself out of Eric's bed and his very, very reluctant limbs.

* * *

><p>Sookie climbed carefully down the ladder into Eric's cubby, relieved when her feet hit the floor. There was something unnerving about not seeing where she was going. She turned towards him, taking note of the unopened bottles of True Blood she had left on his bedside.<p>

Eric was shirtless on the bed, laying down on his back, but his head had lifted to look at her. "Hey," he said softly.

"You don't have to stay down here, you know," Sookie said, moving to the bed, folding one leg under herself as she sat beside him.

"I know," he said absently.

Sookie felt her concern growing at how despondent he was acting. "Eric?" she reached out to brush his face softly, causing his eyes to snap to her. "This isn't like you."

"Yes, it is."

Sookie disagreed, citing her experience with the 'real' Eric.

"I am real," Eric said sharply, but he stopped her from withdrawing her hand from his face when she tried.

Looking down at him, Sookie wanted to agree that the sweet man who craved her touch was real but he was so different from how she was used to him acting, that she couldn't be completely sure.

"Is that why you hesitate to be with me?" Eric asked, pushing himself up with his elbow, holding her hand. "You don't believe me to be real?"

Sookie's mouth opened to deny it but his question made her think of the dozen reasons not to be with him, only - only none of them fit for her anymore. Instead of cautious choices, they sounded like excuses for cowardice. Her Gran would have kicked her butt for being a yellow-belly, and she wasn't too happy with the thought either.

"Eric, you have no idea how different you are," said Sookie, looking down at their joined hands. "I think you must've been like this once, but you changed a whole lot in a thousand years, you kinda had too. Being with you isn't a decision I can just make at the drop of a hat. When you get your memories back..."

Sookie couldn't give over her heart without knowing how he would react when he regained his memories. She was willing to believe Eric cared about her, maybe a whole lot, but would it be enough? Sookie wasn't willing to share a guy with every beautiful fangbanger in Shreveport and then some.

Once bitten, twice shy was a painfully accurate descrption of her feelings.

"What if I don't want my memories back?" Eric asked softly. Sookie's eyes flew open, mouth opening to protest, but something pained in his expression stalled her. "I don't want to be the kind of man who makes you feel like this..."

"How I feel isn't your fault," Sookie said truthfully. The blame was split between Bill and herself. She was never going to forgive herself for not picking up on the signs faster. "All you've ever done is tell me the truth, and all I've ever done is lash out at you for it..."

Over the past few days, Sookie had found herself missing Eric as he had been - mostly when it hit her how vulnerable he was - and she felt herself longing to tell all of this to him. Eric was no innocent, but neither was she.

"Sookie," Eric murmured, unlocking their hands to wrap an arm around her waist and pull her closer. With no regrets, Sookie let him, and leaned forward to kiss him.

Eric's arm tightened around her waist, other hand cupping her face. His lips responded eagerly to hers, tongue tracing the parting of her mouth. Sookie opened up for him, moaning softly into his mouth at the rapidly growing throb between her legs. Eric growled softly, tongue venturing into her mouth, and his growl turned into a groan.

Sookie stroked across his jaw, sandpaper stubble scrapping against her palm until her fingers were sliding through his soft blonde hair, other hand resting on his neck. Eric tugged her closer with the arm around her waist, chest rumbling with a throaty purr. She shifted closer until she was straddling his lap, legs parted wide.

Eric broke the kiss with a choked gasp, hands snapping down to grip her hips, fangs snapping down loudly. Sookie blinked rapidly, eyes dark with desire, lust skyrocketing at the feel of him beneath her. Eric stared up at her with wild blue eyes, arousal pressing forcefully against her thigh, and reached up to pull her down for another kiss.

Their lips entangled in a passionate kiss, filled with as much raw lust as affection.

Hands sliding down his bare shoulders, loving the feel of his skin against her palms, Sookie adjusted herself in his lap until his hard cock was pressing directingly against her clit, seperated by so few (but way too damn many) layers, and wiggled. A strong bolt of hot pleasure shot through her, rattling her with its brutal intensity.

"Eric," she gasped needily, grounding hersef down into his lap.

Eric hissed, and Sookie abruptly found herself flat on her back, pinned to the matress with his heavy weight. His hands were gripping her knees, forcing her legs even wider apart. His face was a single inch from hers, eyes burning fiercely through her, watching her reaction intently as he moved his hips _just so_.

Pleasure tore through Sookie, making her eyes slam shut from the force of it, and she gasped, his name rolling out of her mouth with thoughtless pleading. "_Eric_."

"Look at me," Eric ordered desperately, brushing the tip of her nose with his. The raw need in his voice made her burn hotter than her Light, sucking down a sharp breath of air, and her brown eyes flew open, meeting his feral blue directly.

It was Eric's turn to draw in a sharp, instinctive breath - and as he did, his head snapped up to the ceiling, muscles becoming ridgid, a deep, furious, territorial snarl leaving his mouth.

The sound urged Sookie to bare her neck in wordless submission but she shook the instinct off, blinking rapidly, and breathing deeply until enough oxygen got to her head that she could manage clear thought.

"Eric?" Sookie questioned breathlessly

"I smell another vampire," he explained roughly, staring upwards with intense eyes.

Sookie swallowed, ordering herself to _focus_ on the situation, not on how he felt on top of her or how mind-blowingly hot he looked. "Not Pam?"

"A male," Eric snarled, seeming enraged by the very idea.

Bill. Any trace of Sookie's lust died at the thought of her ex. It had to be Bill. Panic shot through her, clearing her head better than an icy shower. If Bill found out about Eric, he would go postal. Sookie knew that Eric could beat Bill without blinking a golden eyelash but there would be consequences.

And while Sookie never wanted to see Bill again, she certainly didn't want him dead.

Sookie stroked up Eric's arms soothingly, feeling his muscles slowly relaxing under her touch until the doorbell rang, and he stiffened again. When she moved under him, Eric pressed down on her in an unsexy way, low growl rattling in his chest, hunching over her protectively.

"Eric," Sookie said sharply, hoping to snap him out of his possessive haze. "Get off, I have the answer the door." Eric's head snapped round to stare down ather forcefully. At the look on his face, Sookie remembered his reaction the last time Bill had interrupted them. Her smell...

"If I don't open the door, he'll just burst in here anyway." Sookie shoved at his shoulders, and with a grumble, Eric lifted himself enough to let her slide out from under him.

She hurried over to the ladder and began climbing up, feeling compelled to glance back at him. Eric was watching her intently, clearly displeased with her decision, fangs staying down.

"I know what I'm doing, trust me," Sookie said reassuringly, not pausing in her climb.

"I do," he promised softly.

Glad that someone had faith in her, Sookie exited the cubby, unzipping her green hooded sweatshirts, and throwing it at her kitchen table before rushing to open the door. Bill was, as expected, standing on the other side, wearing a brown suit.

"Bill," Sookie said neturally, stepping outside and closing the door behind her.

"Sookie, I'm sorry to disturb you."

Sookie thought about mentioning the were in her woods but coming off as too confrontational didn't seem wise. Instead, she cocked an eyebrow pointedly at him, causing Bill to wince. "What do you want?"

"Eric," Bill stated.

Sookie stared at him, allowing hints of confusion to color her expression. "You're at my house because of _Eric_? Why don't you check Fangtasia?"

"Eric is not at Fangtasia."

She frowned at him, looking as soft and delicate and confused as she could without overdoing it. Pretending to be a fragile, brainless thing got her better tips. "Then where is he?"

Bill brought her act without batting an eyelash. "We...don't know. You see, first we searched his farm in Oland, his apartment in Paris, and the plantation in Barbados. I mean, we've searched everywhere. This is the one place he owns that my guards haven't searched."

"You want to search my house?" Sookie said slowly.

"With your permission - "

"Or without it. I'm not having some goons with guns stomping around in my house."

"It'll only be me," said Bill softly, making a movement towards the door.

Sookie glanced at the door, desperation knotting in her gut, and she jumped to a desperate last resort. "Do you still love me?" she asked softly.

With his back to her, Bill froze, arm dropping to his side. Slowly, he turned back to face her, looking anguished. "I will never stop loving you."

"Then I'm asking you to give me some space," Sookie said quietly, staring at him pleadingly. Her eyes were big and doe-like. "I need to think about things, about us, and I can't do that with you searching for Eric under my floorboards."

Bill hesitated. "It...is my responsibility as King."

"Bill," Sookie whispered, stepping forward and laying a gentle hand on his arm. His eyes locked on her face with longing. For everything he had done to her, Sookie couldn't help but feel remorseful for lying to him at that look. "What reason have I ever given you not to trust me? I have _never_ lied to you."

Bill stepped closer to her, raising a hand to palm her cheek tenderly, oblivious to her struggle not to recoil. "There is hope for us?"

Sookie was frozen for a moment. He needed to believe it, her conscience would have to take a backseat. "Yes."

Bill stared at her, gauging her honestly. Then with a slow nod, he backed off, hand falling from her cheek. "You are right. I will go."

All Sookie felt was relief and a lingering tingle of anxiety as he left. She slumped against the wall, tilting her face up to the cold night air.

She had given false hope to a man who (believed) he loved her, she had lied, she had sunk to Bill's level, and Sookie couldn't regret a single thing of her actions, not if hurting Bill saved Eric.

Giving herself a sharp mental shake, Sookie hurried back inside and pulled her cell out of her jean shorts, dialling Fangtasia's number. She needed to talk to Pam.

* * *

><p><strong>Circular Reasoning is next on my hit-list. But, for now, drop me a line!<strong>

**:D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary: **Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.

* * *

><p>Ginger answered the phone to Fangtasia. After hurrying through the usual pleasantries, Sookie asked after Pam. Ginger informed her that the 'mistress' was busy, and that Eric was out of reach. Sookie convinced her to call Pam, and ask the female vampire to call her back - immediately.<p>

In the meantime, Sookie paced anxiously around her sitting room, holding her cell in her hand. _Come on_, Sookie urged Pam silently, drumming her short nails on the plastic case, _come on_.

Her cell started vibrating, and Sookie answered it before her ringtone could hit the air.

"This better be good, Cupcake," Pam snarled down the line.

"Tell me the deed for my house is ready," Sookie said bluntly, cutting to the chase.

"I have my own problems to deal with, Princess," Pam hissed.

Sookie raised an eyebrow. "Since when is Eric _not_ your problem?"

"Since that wicca bitch fucked with my face," Pam spat, causing her to feel a twinge of concern. And then Sookie's words seemed to actually sink in. "What happened?"

"Bill came over - "

"You didn't let him in!" Pam shrieked furiously.

"Of course, I didn't!" Sookie cried indignantly. "I convinced him to leave, but it was real close, and I really don't want to take the chance again. If he would have pushed it, there was no way I would've been able to stop him."

"The lawyers are drawing up a new contract," Pam said grudgingly. "I'll have Ginger drop it off as soon as they finish with it. Humans are so slow."

Sookie ignored the slight. "What did you mean before - about your face?"

"Your stylish friend came to me and confessed everything with the ballsy human and the male nurse," she gritted.

Sookie froze, a chill of cold horror sliding down their spine. "What did you do to them?"

"Nothing - _yet_. They bargined to un-do the spell on Eric in exchange for their pathetic little lives. The ugly bitch cursed me."

"Are you okay?" Sookie asked, eyebrows furrowing in concern. Pam grunted which the blonde telepath took as a yes. "Was the leader of the coven Marine from the Moon Goddess Emporium?"

There was a pause, and then Pam asked suspiciously, "How do you know that?"

"I asked a friend of mine to look into witches," explained Sookie, gesturing dismissively to herself. "He said the more powerful witches had been picking up on some pretty strong magic from around that area. I'm going to check it out tomorrow."

"I fail to see what a human can do that I couldn't."

"In general, I can sunbathe," Sookie pointed out smartly. She wondered briefly Pam would have enjoyed the sun as much as Eric had. For some reason, she didn't think so. Pam seemed to have been born to be a vampire.

"Ouch," Pam stated flatly, a lewd undertone in her voice. "As much as I'm enjoying the bitchy side of Barbie, how is that going to help?"

"So far, the only two people Marine has cast a spell on are vampires. Maybe there's a reason for that."

"And if there isn't, all three of us will be screwed," Pam said with a crushing cynicalism.

"That's only if I can't zap her," Sookie mentioned. "And if Thomas - "

"Thomas?" Pam repeated, and the blonde telepath could almost _see _her eyebrow raising suggestively.

"He's the one I asked about the witches. His cousin is a witch, and he knows Alcide - "

"Sookie," Pam cut in sharply. "One, I don't care, and two, are you asking a _Were _for help?"

Sookie narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Yes, Thomas is a Were. I thought you said you didn't care."

Pam laughed, an almost maliciously delighted sound. It sounded like a cackle. "When he gets his memory back, Eric's face is going to be priceless."

"Pam, _what_ are you talking about?"

Even when she was with Bill, The Dumb Days, Sookie had picked up on the tension between Weres and vamps. But Eric had sent her to Jackson with Alcide quickly enough, so he couldn't be _that _blindly Anti-Were...could he?

Pam's laughter informed her that he, in fact, could be. Well, Eric was just going to have to nurse his injured pride for the next decade or so because she wasn't going solo, not after what had happened to Pam.

"Why don't you ask him that?" Pam suggested, smirk coming across loud and clear. Then the line went silent mid-cackle. Knowing vampires had no grasp of phone etiquette, Sookie returned her cell to her pocket with a heavy sigh.

"Thomas was the man who called you today," Eric stated softly from behind her. Inhaling sharply, nervous energy shooting down her arms, Sookie whirled around to look at him with big eyes. Eric flinched at her reaction, an unusually solemn expression on his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."

"It's okay," Sookie said, grinning nervously at him. She felt strangely energized just looking at him, remembering how his weight pressed down on her, and the wet, warmth of his kiss. Shaking her head, she remembered his words. "Uh, yeah. He has a lead on the witches who wiped your memory."

Eric stared at her from across the room, head cocked to the side, light blue eyes filled with something fierce and powerful that made her heart thump in her chest. Knees feeling weak, Sookie sank down onto the touch.

"I don't like him," Eric decided quietly, watching her with unnerving intensity. His gaze was almost familiar, but there was a softness in his eyes that the old Eric didn't possess. Or had never shown her.

"You don't know him," Sookie pointed out half-heartedly.

Eric moved from the cubby and toward her, a stalking, feline grace to his movements. Only Eric could make a walk completely mesmerizing. A jolt of heat shot down Sookie's spine, pooling in her lower stomach.

To Sookie's surprise, Eric took a seat on the floor at her feet then he lifted her leg, scooting between her thighs, before placing her leg back down over his shoulder. He angled his head back to gaze up at her with an open, unguarded face.

After a moment of uncertainty, Sookie allowed it, sliding her other leg over his shoulder, sinking a gentle hand in his silky, golden hair, stroking her thumb over his scalp and beginning to relax.

Eric smiled at her, his own uncertainty vanishing. He rested his face against her thigh, drawing in a breath. Sookie inhaled sharply, an intense surge of lust striking her at the sight of him between her legs, and the feel of his cool, rough cheek on the warm, soft skin of her upper thighs.

Smiling into her thigh, nipping playfully at her skin with his blunt, human teeth, Eric brushed the tips of his fingers teasingly up her thighs. Her heart pounded erratically as his long, pale fingers skimmed up her legs, rough, calloused fingertips moving up, up, up, so close, almost right where she needed them, and then sliding back down her legs.

"Eric..." Sookie bit her lip on a moan, flames in her lower stomach, eyelids fluttering, breath hitching.

"Sookie," Eric muttered happily, nuzzling his face into her skin.

His fingers reached the edge of her small jean shorts, and Sookie parted her legs an inch for him, a tremble going through her entire body. His fingertip breached the small gap between her shorts and her skin, and Sookie's hand clenched automaticallly in his hair, knees sliding across his broad naked shoulders, opening up for him.

Faster than she could see, Eric lifted her legs up and twisted around onto his knees, her legs parted wide for him, feet dangling down his smooth back. The speed made Sookie startle, but Eric's grip on her was firm, and his expression...

Eyes closed, mouth parted just slightly, breathing in deeply. His expression was one of pleasure, and when his eyes opened, Sookie felt the fierce arousal slamming into her gut, leaving her breathless and wide-eyed, trembling lightly in his grip.

"You smell so good when you want me," Eric said softly, no arrogance in his being, just a warm affection that glowed at her from his light blue eyes. His big hands curled around her thighs, and moved up her skin, slowly caressing her from knee to the curves of her hip bone. "Sookie?" he rasped out, seeking permission.

Thoughtlessly, Sookie reached out and touched his cheek, unable to believe seeing such a shy expression on Eric's face. Unable to believe Eric was the cause of the lust blazing in her blood, the dampness between her thighs, and the girlish fluttering in her chest.

The knot in her throat stopped her from speaking, but Sookie nodded, feeling unusually timid.

Eric's fangs snapped down, a wild look burst into his eyes, and his hands un-buttoned her shorts, pulling them down her legs, all at vamp speed. In contrast to his frantic eyes and sudden actions, Eric leaned forward and mouthed a gentle kiss to the exposed skin.

A violent shot of lust made Sookie gasp, head falling back, neck bared, as butterflies danced around in her stomach. The duo sensations only increased when he begun to kiss his way down to her golden curls, pushing her white lace panties down her legs. Sookie swallowed heavily, and her breath hitched violently in shock at the first brush of his mouth on her.

"Eric!" she yelped, hands clenching in his hair, torn between white-hot lust and a twinge of panic at how strong the feeling was. Almost instantly, she gentled the hands in his hair, stroking his scalp tenderly.

"I didn't think it possible...you taste even better than you smell," Eric said dreamily, breath fanning over her damp golden curls, looking at her wide-eyed expression with that heart-melting, shy smile.

Sookie's chest rose and fell as he lowered his head, and she twitched, half expecting herself to beg him to stop, because surely the rapidly rising anticipation, the bright surge of lust, would kill her, but instead, her head rolled backwards.

Sookie inhaled shakily, loudly, squirming under him with a slight cry as his tongue breached her, and his hands slid down to grip her ass, yanking her forward, closer to his mouth.

"Eric," she groaned, thighs involuntary clenching around his shoulders, trying to keep him with her, to keep him doing that skilled twist and flick with his ... "Eric! Oh, God..."

She moaned loudly when he repeated the motion, knuckles going white in his hair. Her toes clenched tightly, and she struggled to suck in enough breath at the slightly coarse texture of his tongue.

As Eric skillfully continued his aggressive assault on any coherence Sookie possessed, a coil of golden, burning heat tightened in her stomach, growing hotter and tight with each teasing flick of his strong tongue until Sookie was begging for mercy, writhing under his mouth, trying to pull him closer, as though he wasn't already buried in her slick folds.

And then his long fingers were sliding inside of her slowly, one at a time, and Sookie sobbed unashamedly at the sensation, feeling every inch of his skin pushing inside of her, at the same time that his tongue left her. She shook her head in wordless protest, whimpering.

"Sookie," Eric hissed, voice strained, fingers moving around in entirely distracting ways but deliberately missing the right way. There was a flex of muscle, and then he was crouching over her, not quite touching her, big and strong and, to hell with it, _hers_.

"I need you!" she blurted out, meaning every word, even as she was driven senseless, careless, under him. Her eyes opened to catch the agonizing look on his face; so wide and so soft and _hopeful_ that her heart hurt. "I n-need you, even - even when you're such a jerk - always needed you, but now - I want you, too. I _can_ want you." His fingers spasmed inside of her, so close to _just right_, making her whine, and the words flew out. "Oh, God, Eric, bite me."

The bright blue of his eyes _flared _impossibly, love and hope and relief flashed at her, so strong and intense. His chin, his reddened mouth, his cheeks were slick with her juice, and he _smiled _adorably, adoringly, at her, fangs down, and she felt a pang in her chest.

"Eric - " the pleading moan rolled desperately out of her mouth before his mouth was on hers, fierce and more desperate than she would've ever expected. She could taste herself in his mouth, surprisingly sweetened.

Their hands linked, tight and clutching, and then he moved his mouth away, kissing his way sweetly, relevently down her cheek and to her throat.

"This is just the beginning, my lover," Eric promised softly, nuzzling her sweat-soaked skin lovingly. Sookie's heart skipped at the words though of course, she could hardly share a thought as to why -

And then his fangs bit down, and Eric's fingers twisted _just right_ - the golden coil untwisted violently in her lower stomach, sending blinding shockwaves of brilliant white and earth-shaking pleasure through her, rattling her mind into complete silence.

* * *

><p>When Sookie was capable of coherent thought, Eric was nuzzling her neck, licking the closed bite-marks. Her muscles were limp, skin tingling with the aftershocks of bliss. She sighed, sliding her arms up his back to stroke the back of his neck, fingers sliding into the hair on the nape of his neck.<p>

She was on the couch, Eric kneeling between her thighs. She was naked from the waist down, and he was naked from the waist up. It was a silly thing but it made Sookie smile faintly, warm affection flooding her.

"You're happy," Eric whispered, voice low and rough. His tongue flattened over his bite, body curling protectively over hers.

Sookie embraced him, pulling him down on top of her. Even kneeling, Eric's very hard, very big erection was pressing against her belly button. He had come already, but she knew he could go again - go again a whole lot.

"So're you," she pointed out, pressing her silly smile into his shoulder.

Sookie was happy to let herself drift away in bliss with him for a while. The Faeries, the vamps, the witches could wait for a few hours. She could second guess and doubt in the morning, in the sunlight where such thoughts couldn't hurt him.

Eric mouthed a kiss to her neck, arms moving to craddle her close to his chest, and then lift her into his arm. He rose to his feet, and Sookie wrapped her arms around his neck, head resting on his shoulder. She trusted him not to hurt her.

Eric carried her down into the cubby, and laid her down on the bed, kissing her passionately before rolling to the side, gathering her close to his chest. Sookie lifted her head to look at him, surprised by the lack of advances. Eric took her face in his hands, fingers weaving into her hair, hunger dark and fierce in his eyes.

"I want you. My instincts demand I take you before someone else does." Sookie could feel the flames relighting in her lower gut at the trace of anger in his words. She liked that he wanted her, though his way of phrasing things wasn't a major joy to her.

His thumbs stroked the circles under her eyes, regret twisting his mouth. "But I can sense how weary you are."

It was true that Sookie hadn't been sleeping well lately. Almost since her Gran's death. Things had been happening so fast, and she just couldn't seem to catch up. It was wearing her out, almost as much as those _things_ she was trying to (cautiously) forget about for a while.

It still struck her as weird that Eric would shake his head at sex because he was worried about a minor health issue. Things didn't feel quite right to Sookie, their first time shouldn't be tonight, and maybe he felt that too.

With the rush of her blinding orgasm wearing off, Sookie was beginning to remember that she had to face a witch tomorrow. Sleep would be a good idea, practical. There were things she needed to do first.

Leaving Eric to his own devices, Sookie climbed up the ladder (hearing his fangs snap down loudly from behind her before being regretfully retracted) and put her abandoned clothes in the washer before rushing upstairs to take a quick shower. Brushing her teeth and selecting a modest night gown, Sookie returned downstairs.

Since the Supersoaker had been so large, Sookie had two backup waterguns. Trying to remember to fetch her original one which had been dumped out in the woods after Claudine, the telepath stashed a watergun beside the cubby before climbing down.

Eric was sitting on the bed in a different pair of jeans, one of the ancient tomes in his lap, but his eyes were on her as she moved toward him. He put the book aside, and pulled her into his broad chest. Sinking down on the bed, Sookie melted against his bare chest, trying not to think deeply.

Eric laid down, snaking an arm around her waist, other hand resting on her head. Their legs were tangled together, and her head rested securely on his chest. Sookie breathed him in, that icy smell, letting it chase her thoughts away. It worked for a while but a final precaution gnawed at her mind, keeping her from truly relaxing.

"Eric?" Sookie turned over, lifting her head to look at him. He looked back at her questioningly. "Is it too late to heal the bite marks?"

Eric jerked, eyes opening. For the first time since he had stopped being so terrified, Sookie saw the bad side of Eric being so open. The hurt flashed over his unguarded expression as clear as day.

His body seemed to draw in on itself, though Eric's hand moved protectively over his bite. He swallowed. "You wish them gone?"

"No," Sookie said quickly, contentment draining away turning into anxiety and guilt at the hurt on his face. She wasn't sure how Eric would react to knowing she intended to visit the witch who had cursed him, but she doubted it would be supportive - and for good reason. "But my boss would have a problem with them, and they might scare my customers."

It wasn't a total lie, she reassured herself, stomach squirming in guilt. Sam would go postal, and her customers would be freaked out. Especially after the last time she had walked around with a bite-mark on her neck...

"I can heal them," Eric murmured, seeming far from happy about this. His fangs snapped down, and he pricked his finger before reluctantly rubbing his blood into the sealed bite-marks. His touch was gentle, massaging her neck carefully, but she could tell he hated to do it.

"If it really bothers you, you could bite me some place else?" Sookie suggested softly.

Eric paused, looking her in the eye. The tension in his form lessened at her suggestion when he realized she wasn't backing away from him again with yet another excuse. His hand paused on her neck, fingers curling around her nape.

"If I took anymore of your blood, it could endanger you," Eric murmured absently.

His eyes flitted to her lips, and Sookie's heart leapt with excitement, nervously picking up speed, a blush rising instinctively to her cheeks. Their bodies were close, tangled together with Sookie's upper body mostly on his naked chest.

Eric's hand slid up into her hair, but Sookie was the one to lean forward and claim his mouth in a fierce kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>I have a feeling my fanbase is going to take a serious hit after this chapter. Something seemed a little off, even though things did spiral into this without my consent. I was planning to drag on the ship angst for another three chapters.<strong>

**This is my first almost-lemon, so that's my excuse if it is as dull as I'm terrified it was.**

**Review...?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary: **Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.

* * *

><p>Sookie opened her eyes to the soft flow of gentle music, and found herself looking straight up into the sun. The last thing she remembered was being in the cubby with Eric, being held by Eric as he read, feeling safe, mind pleasantly blank. With one look, Sookie identified her location as the sugar-coated version of Faerie and she pushed hersef up abruptly, calling frantically on her Light.<p>

"Don't be afraid." Sookie's eyes fell on a man and filled with recognition. A dark-haired man who was tied with Eric as the best looking man she had ever seen.

Claude was sitting on the grass bank a few feet from where she sat, feet dangling into the sparkling water. There was a morose slump to his shoulders that made Sookie's stomach drop, and her wariness increase.

Even if they had been on opposite sides, Claude and Claudine had been family, and Sookie knew that no matter what Jason did, she would kill anyone who hurt him. The cold-blooded certainty in her thoughts unnerved her but she couldn't regret it.

"We were twins," Claude said, seeming to pick up on her thoughts. It was strange being around another telepath. He turned to her, blue eyes serious. "I regret her passing, but you and I share blood, also. I bear you no harm, my cousin."

"And Eric?" Sookie asked, arching an eyebrow. Jason wasn't the only one she felt fiercely protective of.

Claude watched him with an unreadable expression. "You care for him deeply," he stated, making Sookie stiffen. "Then I will seek no retribution."

Considering how Eric had done against the last Fairy he had faced and how strong her lover was, she doubted Claude could have gotten retribution anyway but it was one less thing to worry about.

"Thank you," Sookie said, easing up slightly. The pleasant burn in her limbs faded, finding no threat.

Claude acknowledged her thanks with a nod, and Sookie shifted her limbs, faintly annoyed to find herself back in the white floaty dress from her less violent visit.

"Am I in danger or is this a social visit?" Sookie asked.

"You are always in danger," Claude informed her frankly.

Unable to argue, Sookie moved closer to him until she was sitting on the bank, dipping her legs in the water. She looked at him with curiosity, and Claude stared back with blatant interest.

He didn't look like her, Sookie noticed. His hair was dark, eyes bright blue, skin pale, like Claudine. Sookie was unsure of what to think of Claude. He had saved her in Faerie and he had warned her about Claudine, but there was something otherworldly about him that confused her.

"Do you care about me?" she asked curiously.

Claude blinked, and then reached out to touch her cheek. Though it made her wary, Sookie allowed it, softened by something in his eyes. His skin was warm, unlike Eric's cool hands. "You are my cousin."

Sookie thought of Hadley, and of the look on Queen Mab's face as she tried to force the Light Fruit upon her. "That doesn't mean anything."

"It is everything," Claude said firmly. "We are of the same blood, of the same spark, of the same Light."

Sookie tried not to be swayed by his words and the devoted look of belief in his eyes but a small piece of her heart attached itself to Claude. The warmth of a new affection couldn't drown out Sookie's loyalty, however. "What about Jason?"

Claude paused, tucking a small piece of hair behind her ear before drawing his hand back. "He does not possess the spark. I am unable to contact him, but I value the connection of blood regardless."

A small fear of Sookie's drained away but she wasn't willing to relax completely.

"Your brother will need you in the future," Claude said abruptly, a stilled tension in his form. Sookie frowned, an instant jump in concern. "It is not my place to say why."

A heavy darkness fell over them suddenly, and Sookie inhaled sharply, heart leaping in panic. "Claude - "

"You are waking," her cousin explained. "Beware, cousin. The future holds many things in store."

Before Sookie could ask what he meant, the world fell out from under her, and Sookie opened her eyes in the cubby. She woke up sharply, sucking in a shaking breath, body flinching, heart hammering frantically, wrapped in Eric's limbs.

They were spooning, his taller form curled protectively around her small body, one leg inserted between her legs, arms fastened tightly around her. He was sleeping, an unmoving statue to rival David.

Instinctively, Sookie twisted around in the small space his arms gave her, careful not to bump his nose against her head, and she looked into his face. His face was relaxed, unexpectedly peaceful, eyes closed, mouth soft and smiling the slightest bit.

Her heart skipped a beat before slowing, comforted at the sight of him. Her terror was replaced with a soft, warming emotion. Sookie kissed him lightly, a tender brush of her mouth to his soft lips, and settled down. His chest was unmoving against her own.

For a moment, Sookie relaxed and simply absorbed the peaceful moment, knowing instinctively it would be a rare one, before she remembered work and Marnie. Reluctantly, she wiggled her way out of Eric's arms, shivering at how cold the cubby seemed by comparison.

Sookie left the cubby, closing the doors firmly behind her. As she rose from picking up the watergun, she caught sight of the kitchen and paused, wondering. Figuring there was nothing to lose in checking, Sookie moved into her kitchen and checked her first-aid kit.

There was a bottle of expensive iron supplements.

"Eric..." Sookie murmured, unable to explain the pained sensation in her chest. She had missed Eric before but that had been mostly for his own sake.

Now, she found herself wondering what Eric's expression might have been like if she'd given into him before he'd lost his memories. Smug, arrogant, pleased? Happy? Relevent? Would he have felt rejected when she asked him to heal his bite? It felt strange and unfair to compare the two, so Sookie forced herself not too.

One thing was for damn sure, she would need to talk to Eric whenever he got his memory back. Everything was so hazy and unclear to her, maybe he could shed some light on things.

Not willing to spend any more time mooning over a bunch of pills, Sookie quickly took two of the tablets before rushing upstairs to get ready for work, keeping the watergun close.

* * *

><p>Sookie flitted around Merlotte's with a smile on her face. Inside, she was less pleased. When Lafayette hadn't shown up for work, she had asked Sam, and he'd told her that Lafayette had asked for some time off. It was a smart move, and Sookie was relieved that Lafayette was out of Pam's reach but it left her with a problem.<p>

Before she went to see Marnie, Sookie was hoping to get the full story of what had happened the night Eric had lost his memories. If she asked Tara, then her childhood friend could get suspicious, and that was the last thing Sookie needed.

That left Holly, who Sookie had exchanged very few words with. As Sookie worked, she prepared a couple of innocent questions that should make Holly remember that night.

"Hey, Holly?" Sookie said when there was a lull in the lunchtime rush. It was nearing one o'clock.

Holly looked at her with a grin. "Yeah, Sookie?"

"I'm real sorry to ask you this," Sookie chewed on her lip, expression sheepish, "But well, you're the only person I _can_ ask." Holly looked intrigued as she continued, lying remorselessly. "Lafayette and Tara told me about that wicca meeting y'all went to, the one that vampire crashed..."

A memory flashed through Holly's mind. Eric bursting through the doors, fangs down, looming tall and unfairly beautiful, grinning with a malicious arrogance that made her feel strangely sad, asking in an accent similar to hers, _"Y'all need a dead body_?"

He terrified Holly. The taller blonde stiffened, seeking a way to end the conversation fast. "That was a real mess, honey. I really don't feel like talkin' about it..."

Sookie was persistant. "I understand that, and normally I wouldn't push, but whatever happened that night scared Lafayette outta town."

"It was nothing," Holly said uncomfortably. Another memory sailed through her head. An old frumpy woman chanting - Tara dropping from Eric's hand to the floor - a flash of Lafayette's terrified face - and then how the air had changed, growing cold and dark.

Holly had been in perfect position to see the expression on Eric's face change, how his light blue eyes had drained, cold amusement and disbelief turning into a lost, terrified expression, like a frightened little boy. It was sickening for Sookie to witness.

A tangled knot of emotions lodged in her throat, making it difficult to breath, forcing her to advert her gaze before she gave herself away. Rage boiled through her, almost unbearably hot, sending sparks down her arm.

"Are you alright, honey?"

Sookie refrained from reeling her fist back and punching Holly in the mouth. _She_ wasn't responsible for that look on Eric's face. After half-heartedly smoothing things over with Holly, Sookie went back to work with a heavy weight on her mind.

It was hard to keep working while the snap-shots of that night played over and over again in the back of her head but Sookie managed to end her shift with no major slip ups. She changed into a blue sundress and let her hair fall loosely around her face before heading out the back of Merlotte's.

Thomas was waiting for her in the sunlight. He was wearing a leather jacket, sunglasses on his face, propped up against the hood of a dark SUV. When he caught sight of her, a grin split his handsome stubbled face.

"You look lovely," he called to her when she was close enough to hear.

"Said the big bad wolf," Sookie murmured, ducking her head with a small smile.

"Was that pop culture from my angel?" Thomas teased, pushing off the car to open her door for her. As she climbed into the car without responding, the Were caught her eye and winked at her before closing her door.

Sookie only let the grin cross her face when Thomas couldn't see it. She doubted Eric would approve of her encouraging Thomas' flirtatious behaviour. Thinking about Eric as she had left him, rumpled and handsome in the cubby, softened Sookie's heart.

Sookie frowned at her gushing thoughts. There were plenty of reasons why being with Eric was a terrible idea. The largest of them was when he regained his memory. Despite dozens of wild theories, she didn't know how he would react to her. After Bill's betrayal, she refused to fling her heart into someone's lap without considering the consequences.

And there could be a lot of painful consequences if she loved him, and he didn't feel the same way. Thinking of Eric with another woman made her feel sick with jealousy now, how much worse would it be if she fell for him? It would be unbearable.

Sookie knew she cared deeply about him, and she was accepting that he cared about her as well, but until she was sure, her feelings _couldn't_ go any deeper.

It still felt keenly like betrayal when Thomas slipped an arm around her shoulders as they crossed the street to the Moon Goddess Emporium, and Sookie shot him a startled look. Thomas looked at her innocently, act ruined by the smirk curling the corners of his mouth. "We have to look authentic, Angel."

After giving him a look that stated her opinion on his supposed intentions very clearly, Sookie reluctantly wrapped an arm around his waist - he _did_ have a point - and walked into the shop, feeling his increased body heat warming her side.

The shop was cluttered, filled with many strange things. Sookie took in the exits, mentally double-checked the water pistol in her bag, but made no real note of the witch's belongings. She was trying to get a feel of the witch, not buy a crappy candle.

Sookie slipped out from under Thomas' arm and approached the desk. A woman in her forties, the one she had seen in Holly's head, appeared from the back. She was more frail-looking in person, bony, and clearly distracted. Sookie swallowed a hot flash of wildly protective rage at the sight of the witch who had wiped Eric's memory.

It wasn't easy. He had been so afraid, so unlike himself when she had stumbled across him, and the memory made her chest hurt. But she couldn't afford to be angry.

"Hi."

"Hi," Sookie returned sweetly, glancing at Thomas as the handsome Were stood at her side. She felt safer with him so close. "We were passing by and we saw your sign, I'd like a reading, please."

"Ah," Marnie said distantly, not fully processing the words at first. "_Ah_. Well, then, sit." The witch gestured half-heartedly to a table with two chairs. "Will you both be getting a reading?"

"Oh, no," Thomas said with an easy-going smile. Marnie startled at his accent, and Sookie watched the two from the corner of her eye as she moved to the table. "Just my girlfriend."

"I'm Sookie," the blonde telepath said, shaking Marnie's hand when she was close. A confusing flood of emotions hit Sookie with the small contact - fear, wonder, annoyance, malice - but her smile remained unchanging. "He's Thomas."

"Marnie," the witch said curtly, breaking the contact, taking a seat at the same time as Sookie.

Thomas remained standing, arms crossed over his chest, bright green eyes sharp and intent, protective and admiring, on Sookie. She could almost sense his curiosity, his wonder, as he waited with baited breath for her to do her thing. Sookie snuck a glance at him; it was strange for a human to be so accepting of her curse.

With an experienced hand, Marnie lit two pale candles. "Could I have something to hold onto? Just something personal."

Reaching back, Sookie unclasped her silver necklace. Gran had brought it for her sixteenth birthday. It had been too long since Sookie had worn it. As the candle light caught on the silver, Sookie felt a pang of pain at the thought of her Gran and dropped the necklace reluctantly into Marnie's waiting palm.

Marnie closed her hand, stroking the back of her own fingers with her other hand, and made an odd gesture. "Now just relax." Sookie inwardly rolled her eyes at the irony. "Think of a question."

Instead, Sookie watched as Marine's expression contorted, like the biggest fake in the whole world, and dipped into her head. There was a strange buzzing rush of thoughts, of many thoughts; more than a single woman's head should be able to hold.

Sookie's eyes widened fractionally in surprise when she realized that Marnie had _actual_ talent, actual contact with the other side. Her eyes darted to Thomas, who read her expression. His own expression tipped into surprise.

On the drive, he had told her how difficult necromancy was, how much power it required. Contacting the dead was a minor branch but it was a branch nonetheless. While Sookie had known Marnie was dabbling in necromancy, Thomas hadn't.

Still knowing Marnie had erased Eric's memory and done something to Pam's face was one thing but hearing the voices of dead people in her head via telepathy was another. It was unsettling, but Sookie forced herself not to shy away from Marnie's head.

"There's a presence," Marnie said dramatically, her spiral falling on mostly deaf ears. "Someone who passed on not long ago." Which, really, was simple logic. Most people who tried to contact the dead were recently bereaved. "A woman. I-I see a yellow apron. Someone older." _What a shock_, Sookie thought sarcastically, trying not to react to the yellow apron.

"My Gran had a yellow apron," Sookie said absently, pushing deeper into Marnie's head. The buzzing grew louder, more frenzied. For a moment, Sookie felt a flick of hope, nearly pushing Eric out of her head - but Adele Stackhouse's voice was nowhere to be found under the masses, and she would recognize it _anywhere_.

Marnie made a sound of agreement. "She misses you very much."

_Fuck you_, Sookie thought hotly, struggling to control her temper. Knowing that Marnie had hurt Eric filled her with a frightening anger that burned hot and cold, urging her to do _anything_ to make sure the witch could never hurt him again, and now, she was bringing Gran into things?

How dare she? Sookie stiffened, tiny explosions rocking through her body, Light rising to the surface.

"Sookie, you okay?" Thomas asked quietly.

"She is at peace," Marnie continued. "She - she wants you to look after someone. A sibling?"

Sookie flinched, remembering Claude's warning. "Jason," she whispered. She hadn't seen him in far too long. Eric had distracted her completely.

Lord, what had happened to him? Terror filled Sookie, making her fingertips spark faintly with the two strong emotions warring within her. If something happened to Jason, she would never be able to forgive herself. And God help anyone who harmed him.

Jason was her only family left. She loved him desperately, even though they had drifted since she'd met Bill. She would die for him. Would kill for him if it came down to it.

And then, clear as a bell, Sookie heard her Gran's soft voice for the first time since hearing her terrifed screams in Rene's head.

_Sookie, I know what you're trying to do, and it ain't working. I know you're afraid of getting your heart broken, but you mustn't shut yourself off from the outside world. _

"Gran," Sookie said softly, protesting. Her world had shrank down to the sound of her Gran's voice, echoing sternly in her ears.

_You fell in love with the wrong man and you paid for it horribly. You trusted the wrong people, and it all turned around on you. You're scared of being made a fool__, but some people _can_ be trusted. _Her Gran's voice turned from gentle to fierce, a mama bear protecting her precious baby. _I am incredibly proud of you for takin' care of yourself but Sookie, sweetheart, this woman poses great danger. Run._

"What?" Marnie shrilled, sounding shocked and appalled. Sookie blocked out her next words, doe eyes darting around the room. Thomas was crouched down beside her chair, looking at her with worry.

"We have to leave," Sookie said abruptly. Thomas sprung away from her chair as she stood up, hurriedly pulling out some cash and dropping it on the table, snatching her necklace out of Marnie's hand.

"What - what are you doing?" Marnie looked startled and dazed.

"Lady, when my Gran tells me to run, I run. Keep the change."

Ignoring his shocked expression, Sookie grabbed Thomas' hand, and pulled him after her as she bolted out of the shop.

* * *

><p>Thomas kept her mind off Gran on the drive home by asking a lot of questions about her telepathy. Some of his questions were bizzare enough to provoke a smile from Sookie. He peppered his questions with flirtatious comments that left her feeling incredibly conflicted. Why couldn't she have met a man like him or Alcide <em>before<em> Bill or Eric?

"I can't get much from other Supernatural minds," Sookie told him. "I can't read vampires at all."

"That's very fortunate," Thomas commented. His grin was wide and playful. "What about Weres?"

"Mostly emotions or random words. If I wanted to read your mind, I would have to actually _try_."

Thomas glanced at her in surprise. "You don't usually?"

Sookie shook her head, looking across at him. The windows were down, stirring her hair around her face. "No. I have to force myself _not_ to hear what people are thinkin'."

Thomas raised his eyebrows, looking her over with attractive green eyes. "That doesn't sound fun."

"It isn't, but I have to do it. If I didn't..." Sookie shook her head at the thought, looking down at her lap, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "I would've been driven crazy a long time ago, or maybe it would put me into a coma. Who knows."

Sensing her mood, Thomas changed the subject to Alcide. He kept the conversation light and away from Debbie Pelt. The Were didn't mention Marnie or ask why she had even wanted to see the witch in the first place which Sookie was thankful for.

After Thomas pulled into Merlotte's parking lot, he walked her to her yellow car. A stray thought from a group of teenaged girls made Sookie wince.

"Angel?" Thomas questioned.

Sookie jerked her head to the pack of girls as they lingered outside Merlotte's. "They think we're dating."

"Oh?" A grin slashed across Thomas' face. He lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing her skin slowly, looking down her arm and directly in the eyes with attractive green eyes. "Would you like to give them something to talk about?"

Sookie swallowed, blinking. The playful grin on his mouth contrasted with the very real desire in his eyes, but it wasn't that which struck her silent. He reminded her of Eric in that moment, and the intensity of her feelings about that startled her. Once again, she found herself missing him - as the sweetheart in her house, and the arrogant jerk who ruled Fangtasia.

Sookie gently pulled her hand back, looking up at Thomas. "I'm...uh, I'm kind of with someone..."

Thomas dialed down the intensity in his eyes, smiling understandingly at her. It was completely genuine. "I wish I could say I was surprised. Girls like you are too lovely _not_ to have someone bloody nuts about them."

Heat flooded Sookie's cheeks. "He isn't...things are difficult..."

"Well, Angel, if things ever change, the offer still stands." Thomas grinned flirtatiously, kissing the back of her hand with genuine fondness, and she felt a rush of friendship for him. After releasing her hand, the handsome Were sobered. "We're friends, aren't we, Sookie?"

Smiling faintly at the irony of their first meeting, Sookie nodded. "Yeah, we are."

"Then as your friend, I want you to promise me that if you _ever_ need help - say, with a certain witch - you'll call me."

Touched by the concern on his face, it took Sookie a moment to speak. "I promise," she said quietly.

Hesitating, as though searching for something else to say, Thomas eventually accepted her words with a nod. He saw her off with a dramatically blown kiss and a wave.

It was getting dark, but instead of driving home, Sookie headed over to her brother's place. She knocked on the door several times, panic growing with every second. Then she tried calling his cell. It went unanswered. She tried his home number, and it rang out.

After that, Sookie fetched her spare key from the glove box of her car and looked around Jason's place. It was empty. Because of the usual state of disarray, she was unable to tell if he had been gone for long.

Pacing, Sookie dialled his cell again. Wild theories flew through her head. For Jason, it had been a year since he'd seen her. The last time one of their family members had died, Jason ended up taking V. That could be the trouble Gran and Claude had been trying to warn her of.

Sookie didn't fully believe that. Jason wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he wouldn't start taking V again. Besides he'd seemed fine the last time she'd seen him. He was a _police officer_ now.

Cursing softly, Sookie called 911 and convinced Rosie to let her talk to Andy Bellefluer. Andy was as helpful as ever, though he seemed far more aggressive, but he did admit that Jason hadn't been to work in a few days. He promised to look into it. Which was hardly comforting.

As a last resort, Sookie called Hoyt Fortenberry. That went to voice mail as well, but she left a message asking him to call her if he'd seen Jason in the past few days.

Afterwards, Sookie sank numbly down onto her brother's couch and buried her head in her hands. Life was like a game of dominos; a single mistake, and everything tumbled down. Would things ever stop falling down? Guilt wormed through her insides. If she had noticed sooner...

Shaking her head, Sookie reminded herself toughly that sitting around on her brother's couch in a haze of self-pity was far from helpful. Besides whenever she tended to do that, things took a turn for the worse, and fate didn't need to be tempted.

Calmly swiping the few escaped tears away, Sookie pushed herself to her feet and looked around, a pained twist to her mouth. She forced herself to drive home, but her composure took a serious beating the second she'd locked her door behind her.

Her back hit the door with a soft thump as her knees threatened to give out from under her. Inhaling shakily, Sookie's eyes sought a distraction. She looked between the cubby and the stairs. She was tired and hurting, and she wanted Eric.

Eric made her feel safe and relaxed, even knowing how many people held grudges against her. She cared about him deeply, and she wanted him to be happy. Unbidden, an image of his expression when she asked him to heal his bite flitted through her head, making her flinch.

It wasn't entirely unlike his expression when his memories had been locked away. From the second she'd woken up in bed with him, she'd known she would prefer to walk over hot coals than ever see that look, especially caused by her, on his face again.

Sookie wouldn't give him her heart until it was something they both wanted, while in their right minds, but she couldn't bring herself to reject him completely. But intentionally crawling into bed with Eric, whereas the other times it simply _happened_, was crossing a line. She was taking a risk in deciding to be with him like he was now, and considering she had been trying to train herself out of taking risks, it was nerve-wracking.

Perhaps she should sleep in her own bed tonight. Away from Eric, where his pretty eyes and handsome face couldn't melt her resolve.

Sookie made an aborted movement towards the stairs before stopping, looking uncertainly at the cubby.

"Fuck it," she breathed. Her brother could be anywhere for all she knew. Like Scarlett, she would worry about her...relationship with Eric in the morning.

Removing the water pistol from her bag, Sookie went upstairs and changed into an old pink shirt that reached her thighs. After removing her make up and brushing her teeth, checking all the windows and doors, Sookie climbed down into the cubby with the water pistol and her cell phone.

The instant her foot hit the floor, several bright lights flared on. Blinking the light out of her eyes, Sookie automatically found Eric with her eyes. He was exactly where she had left him, curled up on his side, eyes closed, expression slack and peaceful.

The tension in Sookie's form eased at the sight of him, and her heart melted in her chest, a worrying flutter in her stomach. Determined not to dwell on that, Sookie placed her water pistol on the floor and laid her cell on Eric's books. She climbed onto the bed, pulling his arm around her waist, tangling her legs with hers until she was back to how the day had started.

Wrapped up in Eric's limbs in Eric's bed.

A strange tentative peace rolled through Sookie, soft and fragile and golden. Fear for Jason lingered but it was easier to accept that she could do nothing to help her wayward sibling until morning. Stupid girly feelings. It had never been like that with Bill, but then she had been too moon-eyed to form a coherent thought, and hold it for longer than a few minutes.

With Eric, she felt safe, comforted, but not overpowered (drowned) by her feelings for him. She hadn't been struck dumb (and then some) or selfish. She was still Sookie, just more paranoid and more attached to Eric Northman. But...

"Even when you're a total jerk," Sookie muttered to Eric's sleeping form, speaking the words as the thought came to her, "You make it very hard not to love you."

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><p><strong>There isn't much Eric in this chapter but there are things that needed to be done. Besides I promise to make up for it in the next chapter...if you review. <strong>

**Feel free to check out Circular Reasoning. :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary: **Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.

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><p>The rasp of stubble against her neck brought Sookie swimming back to consciousness. It was dark when she peeled her eyes open, feeling unexpectedly alert for having just woken up. Eric was awake, knee between her legs, arms curled around her, nuzzling his face into her neck. There was wire-tight tension in his jaw.<p>

"You smell like Were," he stated, an unreadable note to his voice.

"Thomas," she murmured in answer.

Eric's arms tightened around her, and his voice had a hard edge of jealousy, "Him."

Sookie blinked, turning her head to look at him over her shoulder. The movement flooded the room with a bright, blinding light that hurt her eyes. She clenched her eyes shut for a moment before opening them, blinking away the flashes of light until she could see his face clearly. And then she needed to blink some more.

Eric looked at her, his jaw was tight, his eyes were cold (though she knew his anger wasn't directed at her) and it was familiar. He looked like himself. It was a shock to Sookie, and it took her a moment to figure out that Eric was _jealous_. Wildly jealous.

"No," she said, shaking her head, unable to tear her eyes away from that expression. A confusing mixture of emotions swirled around in her, longing and panic. Maybe she should be offended by the conclusion he seemed to have drawn, but Eric was a vampire, and they were notoriously possessive creatures. "Not like that. I needed his help, remember?"

Eric hesitated, reading the truth in her words. "I know you would not lay with another," he said earnestly, a great tension clinging to his tall frame at the very idea.

Sookie could tell he meant it. "But?" she prompted, turning over properly to face him, resting her head on her palm. Eric adverted his eyes, but she cupped his cheek with her other hand and guided his light blue eyes back to her. "What is it?"

"I had a bad dream," Eric said quickly. His expression was vague, lost in memory. His arms slackened around her until he wasn't holding her at all. Then he told her about his dream, about going to her bedroom and meeting a dark-haired teenage with old, old eyes. The confusion and the pain in his voice raked on Sookie's heart like Maryann's claws.

"He wanted me to bite you, for us to kill you together," Eric said roughly. His voice was hoarse and tight with emotion. He was laying on his side with his back to her, muscles ridgid. Sookie was sitting up beside him, arms wrapped around her bare knees, looking at Eric's back with a frown. She felt a creeping suspicion worming into her mind. Though he couldn't remember, she knew of only one person capable of making Eric withdraw like he was.

"I couldn't hurt you," he continued, muscles winding impossibly tighter. "He told me you and I would not last, that as soon as my memories returned...I would lose you to another. And then he bit you. You screamed, and I wanted to stop him, but I was unable to go against him. I'm sorry," he rasped with genuine anguish.

"It was just a dream," Sookie said soothingly, stroking his back lightly. There was the slightest tremor under her hand. He was crying. Her heart constricted painfully. "Eric, the boy - his name was Godric. He was your maker. You loved him. Of course, you couldn't go against him."

"I don't know why I'm crying." He rubbed at his face with one hand, and she saw the stark red of blood against his pale skin.

"You miss him," Sookie said tenderly, her thoughts flitting to Gran before falling back to Eric. Her legs straighted out.

"He _killed_ you."

"Actually, he saved my life - twice."

"He said I was evil."

"He loved you." She stroked his neck. Eric was silent, tense under her touch. Sookie remembered what else Godric had told Eric. "The Godric in your dreams - he was wrong, about you _and_ about me. The one I met, the one who made you and saved my life, loved you."

The memory of Godric, standing on the roof, filled with remorse and courage and more kindness than most humans, jarred horribly with the vampire in Eric's nightmare.

Eric remained still for a moment before he looked over at her, streaks of blood tears drying on his face. "Am I evil?"

"_No_," Sookie said firmly. All she could think about was Eric's tears on the roof, how utterly broken he had been by Godric's death. "You - you're hardened but you kind of have to be - and, well, you certainly aren't Gandhi but no, you're not evil."

Eric stared up at her, the desperation in his face hitting her heart with a smash. For all his centuries, he looked like a little boy, afraid of the uncertainty of the dark. She was all he had, and his fear of losing her was written boldly over his face. "You won't leave me?"

Sookie was frozen by the look on his face, the frantic fear in his impossibly _blue_ eyes. Her heart skipped a beat and then raced on at an almost painful speed. Her insides knotted up, hot and cold, so conflicted. She wanted to promise him, she wanted to refuse him; she wanted something. His eyes begged her, and she felt herself silently begging him - _please, please don't make me love you, please, please_.

How could she promise him that when she had no idea how Eric would react to her with his memories? Who was she to demand that he change his lifestyle for her? A no one from nowhere.

"No, Eric," Sookie said, a distinct rasp to her own voice. The words should have surprised her but somehow, they felt right. "I won't leave you."

The blue of Eric's eyes flared with all the brilliance of a supernova, flashing with _honest to God_ happiness. He looked beautiful, too beautiful to be real. Sookie felt her heart slowing with a breathless wonder at the sight of him. She loved to see him happy, even if it was fleeting.

"Thank you," Eric rasped quietly with such relief and thankfulness in his voice that Sookie felt her eyes sting. He pushed a floppy strand of hair behind his ear, and the awkward gesture turned her stinging eyes into a warm smile. He took her hand, pressing a light kiss to her pulse, which stuttered.

With a soft sigh, Eric shifted down the bed and laid his head on her upper thigh. Feeling relieved and disappointed that she couldn't meet his intense gaze, Sookie began to stroke his hair, soothed by every silky strand of gold under her touch.

"I like being next to you," Eric told her softly, tilting his head to give her better access to his hair.

Sookie was unable to help the warm smile that spread across her face as she obligingly continued to stroke his hair. Eric's chest began to rumble in a jungle cat's purr, sweet but deadly, at her touch. "I think Godric would have liked this."

"Liked what?"

"To see you like this, so sweet and gentle - "

"Happy," Eric murmured.

"Yeah," Sookie said softly, pleased by the thought. "And happy. He was the most..." her mood was tainted by sadness as she remembered the look on Godric's face, not the wonder at her tears or happiness to burn, but his conviction that his death was deserved. "Human...of all the vampires I've ever met."

"It's strange to miss someone you don't remember," Eric told her quietly.

"It isn't the same," Sookie said slowly, wanting to find some way to ease his pain. "I was seven when my parents died. I have some memories, not a whole lot but some..." Eric lifted his head, pushing himself up with his arm to look at her. "They died in a flash flood." Sookie shrugged, uncomfortable with the subject. "My brother, Jason, and me were at my Gran's. She took us in afterwards."

"Was this her house?" asked Eric, moving closer to her. Their legs pressed together, and his hand touched hers tentatively.

"She died last year," Sookie told him, accepting his hands. She watched her fingers twining with his. Though his skin was cool, she felt her discomfort easing at the contact.

"Your life hasn't been easy."

"It could've been a whole lot worse," Sookie said instantly, not wanting him to feel sorry for her.

Sookie released his hand and wiggled down the bed, resting her head on the pillow. Eric remained propped up by his hand, studying her with his piercing blue eyes. The blood smeared under his eyes didn't detract from his gaze.

Finally, Eric lowered his head to her level and reached out to lay one of his big hands on the curve of her hip. Sookie moved closer to him until their foreheads were a single inch apart, and looked at him questioningly.

"Why are you so afraid?" Eric asked, a troubled furrow in his brow. His thumb rubbed a small circle into her hip.

Sookie shook her head slightly. "I'm not afraid of you." In that moment, it was the truth.

"Of others," he corrected himself. "I found the iron blade under your pillow. You took a water gun into the woods. That woman, she was blasted by a golden light that smelled of you. You act hunted."

Sookie stared at him. He deserved to know about the Fairies since if they came for her, he would be caught up in her mess. But still, she was hesitant. If Eric knew about the Fairies, he might think she couldn't protect him. It would worry him.

_When has Eric lied to you to spare you the worry_? a sarcastic voice pointed out to Sookie. _Bill lied, and Bill is a tool. Eric deserves to make his own choice_.

It was the mature thing to do, the responsible thing to do.

"I am," Sookie confessed, hating how tiny the words sounded. "Eric, what do you know about the Fairies?"

Eric's hand tightened protectively on her hip. "Little. They are extinct." He looked at her. "Or believed to be extinct, should I say?"

Sookie loved how smart he was. It saved her the trouble of convincing him. She smiled grimly. "Close. From what I saw, they're a dying race. Last - last year, I guess, I accepted Claudine's invitation to their - home world. Not long after I arrived there, I saw my grandfather." Sookie shook her head.

"It was so strange. He went missing when I was just a little girl, and he hadn't aged a day. You see, time worked differently there. For him, it had been a couple of hours. For me, twenty years. I realized there was something strange goin' on. I tried to warn my granddaddy through telepathy, but..."

"They were also telepathic?" Eric whispered, seeming enthralled by her story.

"Yeah. They overheard me, and this woman - Queen Mab - came out of nowhere. They tried to trap me there with something called Light Fruit. I blasted her away from me, and we ran. My cousin, Claude, tried to help us escape, but while I hadn't eaten the fruit, my granddaddy had. Escaping from Faerie killed him. He turned to dust, like Claudine did in the woods.

"I lost a year of my life because of them, I won't let them drag me back and make me lose more," she said fiercely.

"And now, you have to protect me as well," he said lowly, eyes adverting from hers. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not. _None_ of this is your fault." Eric looked at her, and she drew him into her arms, feeling his own arms curling around her. The two laid close, facing each other, eyes connected without any pretences or discomfort. It was an open and vulnerable connection. She felt closer to Eric than she had ever felt with _anyone_ before.

Her stomach dropped from a mixture of wild terror and exhilaration. It was an intense feeling that left her feeling overwhelmed with her white-hot affection and vehement protectiveness for him.

"I won't let anything happen to you," Sookie promised quietly, meaning it with a fierceness that she had never felt before.

Eric touched her cheek tentatively, a quick, uncertain brush. When she showed no resistance, he cupped her cheek properly, thumb stroking across her cheekbone. His hand was rough and callused, holding enough strength to crush her skull with little effort but she felt no concern.

Eric stared at her with an awed blue gaze, a sincerity in his face to match the one in her heart. "And I you," he swore. "Beautiful Sookie."

He pressed his forehead to hers, chest rumbling with a growl against hers. Sookie closed her eyes, relaxing completely in the amnesic vampire's arms. His gaze burned into her face for several moment before his eyelashes fluttered sweetly closed against her eyelids.

"No one will force you to do something against your will. I won't allow it," Eric said in a quiet voice, but there was a certain shade of his usual authoritative tone. "I'll keep you safe."

"We can keep each other safe..." Sookie suggested softly, almost scared of her own words. Of what laid under those words.

"Yes," he breathed, hand moving to the back of her neck and pulled her forward into a kiss.

Sookie clung desperately to his shoulders as he kissed her thoroughly. The world was burning around her, narrowing down to Eric's mouth, his hands - one in her hair, and the other curled possessively around her waist - and the hot burn between her legs.

His tongue claimed her mouth ruthlessly and she sucked on his bottom lip, biting down playfully. Eric's fangs shot down, pricking her tongue lightly. The pain added a sharp pang to the thrill of lust that raced up Sookie's spine, and her kiss grew hungrier. Eric groaned, tapping up the droplets of blood from her tongue.

His hands snapped down to her hips, and then Sookie felt herself being lifted then swung up onto his lap at vamp speed. Already feeling disorientated, Sookie was undeterred. She flung herself forward, rolling her burning core against the _huge_ bulge pressing desperately up into Eric's zipper, fingers tangling in his hair.

She cried out at the friction, and Eric let out an animal hiss, yanking her closer until her sex and his erection were pressed forcefully together, seperated only by her panties and his jeans. Sookie's fingernails raked down to Eric's neck, holding him there as she kissed him, and ground her hips down in a circular motion.

Sookie moaned his name as pleasure tore through her, and Eric twisted them around on the bed, slamming her down into the matress, kissing her intently, a curious tenderness to his movements - even as he hauled her large t-shirt up over her head and flung it aside, leaving her only in a white bra-and-panties set.

Fangs down, dick huge and insistant against her core, Eric hovered above her and stared. His blue eyes were violently dilated, striking with the blood under his eyes, golden hair disrupted by her frantic hands, his mouth parted in silent wonder, a look of tenderness swept over his face. "Sookie..."

"Eric," she moaned. Her hair laid around her head in graceless golden curls, her white lace underwear set off her tan attractively, her chest moved with every gasp for air, and her eyes _burned _as she reached for him. "How long until dawn?"

Eric growled, crouching low over her, rubbing his arousal slowly against her sex until she breathed out his name, dark eyes matching the wildness in his own. "Not enough time. I won't rush this," he said, a dark rasp in his voice.

Sookie couldn't even think of arguing with him. Instead she jerked her hips against his, making him hiss at the teasing burn of her heat, and rolled them over so that she straddled him. Eric's eyes flared with lust at the new position, and his hands glided up her curves, distracting her with the harsh brush of his palms on her soft skin, until his huge hands cupped her breasts.

Eric met her eyes, light blue a thin circle around dilated black pupils, the tips of his two index fingers hooking in her bra cups. "Forgive me," he rasped, and jerked his hands apart.

Her white bra was ripped in half and the remains were flung away. Before Sookie could fully realize what had happened, Eric released a guttural growl from deep in his throat, simultaneously pulling her forward and bending his neck. In the split second before contact, she heard his fangs being retracted - and then his mouth was on her breast.

Eric kissed her breast, tugging her nipple teasingly with his teeth. Any remaining coherent thought in Sookie's mind was sandblasted into oblivion; she gasped and moaned, writhing in his lap, rubbing her sex forcefully against Eric's jean-clad erection, provoking her own mixture of sounds from him.

"Eric - Eric - Eric - " Sookie chanted, mindlessly rutting their hips together, whimpering sweetly at the small bursts of pleasure. She curled her hands in his hair, tugging desperately at him. "Eric - Eric - "

"Sookie," Eric gritted against her soft breast, word rolling fluidly from his mouth, caked in awe and lust. "Sookie, - "

All of a sudden, she remembered - _my Sookie_ - And then Eric grasped her hip, and thrusted up. His hard dick hit her clit just so, and an explosion rocked through Sookie, crashing oceans of pleasure down on top of her, dragging a scream from her throat as her limbs automatically locked around Eric.

It was a while before the white flashes cleared from Sookie's eyes, even longer before her breathing could slow. Eric writhed under her, seeking his own release, and she tugged weakly at his hair.

"Look at me," she begged, continuing to pull his hair mindlessly. Eric obeyed her instantly, lifting his head to look at her with half-crazed eyes. Sookie kissed him thoroughly, which he returned with equal fervor, then she kissed, nibbled and licked her way across his jaw, feeling the light stubble rasp against her lips.

Eric let her push him onto his back but he tried to pull her back to him when she hovered over him. A naughty smile spread across Sookie's face as she shook off hands and slid down his chest, pausing to kiss his belly button softly. Charmed by his slight outie, Sookie's smile turned soft and warm as her hands slid slowly down his well-defined abs.

"Sookie," sighed Eric, hands stroking over her scalp. She mouthed a kiss to his stomach with the hint of teeth, before sitting up between his legs and popping the button on his jeans. Eric's eyes flared wide open in surprise, and every muscle in his body jumped as he realized her plan. "_Sookie_."

Sookie felt herself aching for him at the half-snarled, half-whimpered cry of her name but like Eric, she didn't want to rush. She wanted to taste Eric, and she wanted to see him coming undone because of her. Using her hand seemed cold and impersonal. Bill had been a traditionalist in bed, not _bad_, just sticking with what worked for them both, and she had been too shy to offer suggestions.

Sookie had never given someone a blowjob before, but she knew _exactly_ how to make it good. All bar-hoppers seemed to think about was sex.

Sookie bit her lip, forcing her unsure smile away. She slid two fingers down his pants, gasping at the hot silky feel of his dick, and slowly dragged the zipper down. Eric's head was thrown back, an old, ancient word flying out of his mouth.

"Oh my stars," Sookie breathed in shock when his dick was released from his jeans. Eric was certainly proportional. He was long and so thick that she doubted her hand would fit all the way around him. She thought about how he would feel inside of her, and inhaled shakily, grasping his hipbones to keep herself .

"Sookie..."

Leaning down, Sookie pressed a kiss above his groin, seeing his dick twitch at the tease. There was a glisten of pre-come on the tip of him. Without thinking, she licked the drop from his skin. He tasted like icy water to her, but the taste sent shockwaves of heat down to her sex.

As Eric lost his grasp of English, instinctively reverting back to a frantic Swedish babble, Sookie curved her mouth around his tip, lapping at his slit before sucking her way down as far as she could. Eric cried out above her, a desperate sound, and his hands fisted clumsily in her hair.

She could hear him panting, falling back to an old habit as she gripped his shaft (as suspected, he was too big for only one hand) and started to move her hand in time with the throb between her legs. Her tongue caressed him as her mouth continued a light suction.

The harsh murmurings of Eric's native language filtered through Sookie's ears, loud and oddly beautiful. Her senses were drowning him; his taste was thick on her tongue, all her eyes could see was the smooth skin stretched over hard muscle, all she could hear was his beautiful voice rasping out in pleasure at her actions.

His thighs shook with repressed energy against her shoulders, the muscles in his abdomen jumped as he resisted the urge to buckle up into the heat of her mouth, causing the light to catch on the golden blonde hair leading down to where her mouth currently was. His words were new to her but he kept calling her something.

"_Min älskare_," Eric growled, a possessive emphasis on the two words. His thumb dragged through her hair lovingly, a small token of affection, begging something of her. "_Min älskare_ - _Sookie_ - "

Sookie's eyes snapped up instinctively, startled by the sound of her name from her lover, who had been rambling in Swedish since the moment her mouth had came into contact with him. Her heart stuttered, catching at the sight of him, a wave of blissful warmth swept through her - intense enough to burn.

Eric looked utterly ravished, wild-eyed, animal sounds rumbling through his chest, fangs bared down at her, a mere second from losing control. It was as beautiful as shocking to see him so openly effected by her. His chest was heaving with unneeded panting, his hair was a sexy mess, but it was his eyes that filled Sookie with a sour-sweet thrill of so many - too many - things.

They were huge and so, so damn _blue_, almost feral with lust but oddly gentle at the same time. A wrecked, keening sound left Eric's mouth the moment their eyes connection, his hands tightened painfully in her hair before abruptly, forcibly slackening - "_Sookie_ - "

Sookie flicked her tongue against his slit, and his warning gasp turned into a thunderous roar that catapolted around the cubby. In the next second, Eric was coming hard in her mouth. White-knuckling his hips, Sookie swallowed hurriedly. There was a faint salty twist to his icy taste but it wasn't unpleasant.

Eric's muscles abruptly uncoiled under her, slumping heavily onto the matress, and his roar cut off. His breathing became slow before stopping entirely. She felt him softening in her mouth, not as ragingly hard as before but not limp either. Her hands relaxed on his hips, thumbs rubbing soothing circles into his smooth flesh, as her tongue swiped up the last drop of come on the tip of his dick.

Eric sucked in a ragged gasp. Legs trembling, she released him from her mouth and went to sit up. Before she could move another muscle, however, Eric was pulling her up the bed. Sookie went willing, curling up beside him. Her body was damp with sweat, so the cool covers under her back was a relief.

Rolling to his side, Eric stared at her, wonder in his eyes, fangs down. He shouldn't be so beautiful with blood under his touched his mouth softly, feeling the slight dampness of saliva on her finger and a swell of warmth in her chest.

"Come here," Sookie whispered. Eric kissed her, a soft brush of his lips on hers, and then slid down the bed. He curled an arm around her waist, laying his head on her stomach. His fangs retracted with a quiet click as he pressed his face into her sweat-soaked skin, scenting her. Sookie rested a hand on the back of his neck, petting his hair, contented by his closeness.

Eric didn't ask if she was his, and she was glad of that. Lord knows what might have come out of her mouth. The mere thought of hurting him made Sookie feel sick, but the thought of giving in scared her.

Sookie and Eric spent several moments curled up together, basking silently in the aftermath of pleasure and in each other.

"How soon until dawn?" Sookie asked, feeling weariness creeping up on her.

"Another fifteen minutes," he murmured, brushing his nose against her skin softly. The blonde telepath shifted under him, and Eric lifted his head, looking at her. "Don't leave."

His request hit her heart like a hammer. Sookie swallowed the big knot in her throat, feeling the lingering weight of his head on her stomach. "I'm not going anywhere," she promised, lacing her fingers through his. Eric squeezed her hand, looking at her, waiting for her to continue. "You're all bloody..."

"Shower," Eric murmured, eyeing her hopefully. "Will you join me?"

Sookie grinned at him, shy and sassy. "I think that would be kinda counterproductive."

"The best kind of counterproductive," Eric pointed out, raising an eyebrow, a slight smile toying at his mouth.

"Until you start burning again," Sookie reminded him. Her amusement faded, struck by a sickening flutter of panic at the thought of what _could_ have happened.

Realizing she wasn't budging, Eric tucked himself back into his jeans and zipped himself up. "I would die happy," he muttered. Before he would have smirked lewdly at her but now, he was endearingly petulant.

"Don't even joke about that." Sookie winced, snagging her large pale pink t-shirt Eric had flung aside and pulling it over her head.

Sookie checked outside the cubby, making sure all the curtains were closed, before leading Eric upstairs to her bedroom. If there was one thing that hadn't changed, it was Eric's lack of modesty. Blushing, Sookie turned away, staring intently at her blank wall while he stripped off behind her.

There was a zip of vampire speed, and then Eric was pressed up against her back, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. The sudden contact made Sookie startle. Ironically, she relaxed when Eric kissed and nuzzled her throat, sucking a light mark into her skin as he swayed them.

"You don't have to look away," Eric told her.

Sookie waited for him to follow the statement up, able to feel another comment building up in his mind, but Eric kept it to himself and continued to hold her. Tension easing rapidly, Sookie melted back into him, almost falling asleep on her feet. She felt tiny and safe, protected, whenever he held her. It was when he let go that the panicked second thoughts hit her.

As though he never intended to let go, Eric's arms tightened around her. Sometimes Sookie thought he understood her a little too well, even without his memory.

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><p><strong>There is something wrong with me, my minions. Circular Reasoning seems to have bombed, and this...this porn has pushed my plot back. This chapter was supposed to lead us into episode six, not hitch on episode five. Eric and Sookie were supposed to have a meaningful moment with sprinkles of sexual tension, that was it. <strong>

**There was not supposed to be porn or lemons. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary: **Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.

**On the timeline; ****Sookie went to see Marine a day earlier than she did in canon, the morning after Pam made the mistake of threatening her. This chapter is started in the second half of 4x05.**

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><p>Sookie was growing used to waking up in Eric's (literal) death grip. She rolled over to face him, a long stretch rippling her muscles. As expected, Eric was dead to the world, face relaxed, almost happy. Utterly beautiful. Sookie smiled slightly, letting the simple peace of being with the lover she cared so deeply about wash over her.<p>

She studied his expression, unable to shake the memory of his hard eyes, furrowed brows and arrogant smirk. He looked good either way, but she had a preference for his soft eyes. He looked contented, happier, like this - with her.

_Because he doesn't know who he is_, she told herself.

If he would ever look at her again like that when he remembered who he was, she was afraid to find out. To risk losing him. It was stupid of her to get so attached when she was so scared, so uncertain, but she couldn't regret it, regret _him_.

Recognizing the paranoid, pessimistic turn of her thoughts, Sookie sighed in irritation at herself. She looked at Eric's face, thinking of his possessive quirks and her promise to stay with him, to look after him and let him take care of her. The memory warmed her entire body.

Smile returning, Sookie leaned forward to kiss the dimple in his chin, feeling his stubble against her lips, then she brushed a kiss to his soft mouth, and finally, his forehead. She lingered a moment, breathing his soft, cool scent in.

"I promise," she murmured to him before pulling back. Her cell vibrated from the floor, and she swept down to pick it up before dropping back down on the bed. Her heart skipped and her stomach clenched when she saw the caller ID - Jason. She answered the call instantly.

"Hey, Sook," the familiar Southern drawl of her brother's hit her ears like a godsend.

Shock jolted through her, catapolting her back up into a sitting position. "Jason?"

"Yeah, it's me." Jason sounded exhausted, tired and hoarse in a way he hadn't since Gran's death. "Hoyt said you called."

Sookie bit her lip, unnerved by the change in her brother's voice. She could tell something was wrong, and her protective instincts flared up hotly, filling her with the burn of panic. "Jason, where have you been? What happen - no, forget that, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't _sound_ fine," Sookie retorted, careful to keep the heat out of her voice. He didn't deserve to face her anger, not when it was directed at whoever - whatever - hurt him. She swung out of bed, feet hitting the cold floor. "I'm comin' over - don't try to argue, Jason Stackhouse - I'll make breakfast for the three of us if Hoyt's still around."

Jason was quiet for a moment. "Blueberry pancakes?"

Sookie stiffened. It was a small thing, tiny and meaningless, but blueberry pancakes was Gran's comfort food of choice. It wasn't that she'd doubted Claude but it drove the point home - something had happened to Jason. Guilt turned her stomach into a pit of writhing snakes but she brushed the sensation off.

She should have checked in on him sooner, true but how would she have found him? Where had he been?

"Sure." Sookie stood up, turning to look at Eric who looked so content as he slept. So vulnerable. It worried her to leave him alone all of a sudden. If anyone tried to hurt him like this, he would be totally defenseless. Aware that there was a line between reasonable fear and flat out paranoia, she added, "I'll see you soon."

* * *

><p>Jason talked and talked and talked but said nothing about what had happened. Truthfully, Sookie didn't ask nor did she scan his mind, though her newly formed instincts itched at choosing ignorance over full disclosure. In the end, it was Jason's choice and he wasn't willing to say a word.<p>

Besides better than most, she understood that pretending it never happened was the only way to cope. Of course, trying to forget Bill had attacked her in the back of Alcide's van had been _utterly_ stupid but then most of her life choices sucked in hindsight.

"How bad was it?" Sookie asked Hoyt as she washed the dishes after Jason had excused himself to the bathroom. She was wearing her Merlotte's uniform.

"Uh," Hoyt scratched his neck, looking uncomfortable. "It...it was real bad. We - Jess and me - found him just lying by the side of the road. He was all bloodied up..."

Sookie inhaled and exhaled deliberately, a slow anger crawling through her at the idea of Jason's body being dumped by the side of the road like trash. Sparks shot down her arms but she fought her temper back, bringing her Light to heel, not wanting to scare Hoyt and Jason by knocking down a wall.

"He looks okay now," Sookie said, focusing on what was really important; Jason's health.

"Yeah, Jess - Jess gave him some of her blood."

Alarm trilled through her, Sookie's head snapped round, eyes wide. "What?"

Hoyt looked defensive. "She had no choice, if she hadn't, Jason would've died." He deflated at the stricken look on her face. "Sookie, I'm sorry..."

Sookie shook her head half-heartedly, trying to absorb the new information. It was impossible to image. Jason, in pain, bloody, left on the side of the road, nearly dead. Bile rose in her throat. She didn't want to imagine it.

Collecting herself, Sookie turned to face Hoyt, a slight frown clinging to her features. "Did Jessica mention any effects?"

Hoyt's face scrumbled up in confusion. "She said it would heal him."

"Anything else?" she pressed. Slowly, Hoyt shook his head, worry darkening his features at the grimace on her face. Either Jessica was a lot more like her maker than she had expected, or Bill hadn't bothered to explain the effects to his progeny either.

"What is it?" Hoyt wanted to know. He stiffened. "Is there something Jessica ain't telling me?"

There was an edge to his voice that made Sookie blink at him and then narrow her brown eyes. "Are you and Jessica okay?" she asked rather than explain to Hoyt that her brother would be extremely drawn to Jessica from now on. She needed to explain that to Jason as soon as possible.

Hoyt adverted his eyes. "Things have been tense for a while now," he admitted, the words spilling out, like he'd kept them on bottled up for a long while now. Abruptly, Sookie remembered seeing Jessica with a fangbanger before finding Eric and her heart sank, dragged down by sympathy.

Before she could do more than consider telling Hoyt, let alone debate it, Jason returned to the kitchen. "What are y'all talking about?"

"Nothing," Sookie said with a stray glance at the clock. "Shoot," she muttered, drying her wet hands on a towel. "I have to get going or Sam will kill me."

She hugged Jason, arms wrapping around him and squeezing tightly. Jason returned the embrace, his head dropping to the crook of her shoulder, squeezing back with equel force. The hug lingered a few moments longer than it usually would, and it was with extreme reluctance that Sookie pulled back.

"Be careful?" she asked, almost pleadingly, gripping his arms briefly.

Jason swallowed, managing a faint grin. "Yeah, you too. Don't you go disappearing on me ever again."

Pain snapped in Sookie's chest with an afterbite of anger, but there was only sadness in her smile. "I won't if you won't." She kissed his cheek when he nodded somewhat shakily in agreement, grabbed her jacket and drove to work.

* * *

><p>After work, Sookie changed into a pretty yellow sundress and caught up with some chores. She did some laundry, hers and Eric's, dusted, washed the floors and changed the bedsheets. In the middle of puffing up her pillows, Sookie felt a creeping anticipation coiling hotly in her lower gut. Knowing that Jason was safe had been a reassuring weight on her mind all day but she hadn't been able to avoid thoughts of Eric.<p>

Last night had been amazing. The memory heated up her blood into a boiling stream of fire. Sookie vividly remembered the look on Eric's face as she sucked him into her mouth, the harsh, choked sounds he'd made as he writhed under her, the fierce glow in his eyes as he came with a roar.

She bit her lip lightly, empowered and aroused by the memory. The way her body reacted to Eric was astounding, the things he did to her...

Sookie breathed in a little shakily, feeling a strong throb of lust pulsing through her entire body. She was almost afraid of what sex with Eric was going to be like if she reacted so strongly to the memory of his touch. Tonight was the point of no return.

It terrified her. A dozen thoughts swirled around her head, all centered around how Eric would react when he remembered. It was a huge step that it would be smarter not to take. Giving herself to Eric in anyway was so dangerous because it could ruin _everything _but it was too late for that.

Her heart raced anxiously in her chest, her blood raced through her veins, her teeth bit down on her lip, heat coiled between her legs as panic and lust collided. Sookie felt like she was falling, tumbling into a black abyss with the feeling of inevitability crushing her chest.

It was too late to stop caring about Eric, _weeks_ too late. Or rather, a year and several weeks too late. She wanted him as he would be and as he now was, and she refused to hurt them both by foolishly pretending otherwise. But when his memory returned...

Sookie faltered, eyes slamming shut. The idea of losing the closeness with Eric sickened her. It was unbearable, like an itch under her skin. Logically, she knew she should be bracing herself for his rejection because otherwise, it would shatter her. It might anyway.

There was a loud knock on the door, and her head snapped up. Abandoning the pillow, the blonde telepath hurried down stairs and opened the door to, "Tara?"

Her best friend stood on her porch, an oddly vulnerable, awkward air to her. "Hey, Sook," Tara said, hesitating. "Can I come in?"

Sookie blinked, scrunching up her eyebrows, a slight smile lighting her face. "Since when have you needed my permission?" she waved Tara in. "Do you want a beer?" Tara turned to face her. "Ice cream? Both?"

"Both," Tara answered heavily, running a hand through her sleek hair, a troubled expression on her face.

Sookie ordered Tara to settle on the couch, grabbing her friend a beer and two cartons of ice cream with two spoons before sitting beside her best friend. Tara told her everything - about moving to New Orlenes, about building herself a whole new life, about losing herself in a whole new persona as Toni, about her girlfriend Naomi. That one was a surprise but Sookie held her shock back, noticing the happiness in her friend's voice.

By the time Tara had finished, the sky was darkening, and Sookie could feel her nerves tightening. Eric would be up soon.

"I didn't plan it," Tara said, not looking up from her ice cream.

"But she makes you happy," Sookie cut in.

Tara let out a small snort, like she couldn't quite believe it. "Yeah. She does. She really does, Sookie. But I fucked things up, like I always do."

Sookie hesitated, frowning at her friend. Tara's raw and volatile emotional state tended to alienate her from most people but her friend had needed to be strong and brutal to survive her mother - and all those years of living with a bitter, hypocritical, raving madwoman had left a clear mark on her. Tara seemed to gravitate towards people like Franklin and Maryann.

"What do you mean?" she asked softly, shifting closer to Tara.

"I've been lying to her, Sook," Tara said, not quite teary but the stress tightened her voice. "She doesn't know about you or my mama or me. I wanted so bad to leave this fucked up down and my fucked up self behind. She thinks I'm at my grandmother's funeral, she thinks my name is Toni."

Sookie stared at her, but Tara continued, "I hate this place, I hate what it does to me – I'm back here twenty minutes and Eric Northman wants to kill me, but now Naomi found a bunch of stuff with my real name on it. She's going to break up with me and I don't blame her."

The pain in Tara's voice grew with every word until it was painful to listen to, and Sookie scooted over, laying her head on her friend's shoulders.

Sookie knew what Tara had to do, and her chest tightened, bittersweet pain hailing down on her. "Tell her everything – Franklin, Eggs, your mama. Do whatever you have to. You're right, Tara - this place is poison. Go to New Orlenes and don't ever come back – never look back."

Tara inhaled shakily. "No way would she forgive me."

"She might."

"Would you forgive Bill?" Tara shot back.

Sookie grimaced at the very idea, distaste clear in her eyes. "Not in a million years," she admitted, causing Tara to look away. "But you _aren't_ Bill, Tara. You didn't plan to hand Naomi over to a sadist Queen while claiming to love her. Bill never told me the truth, but you _still _have a chance to come clean."

Tara adverted her eyes to the floor, and Sookie couldn't help but glance nervously at the cubby doors. They were closed but every second caused a spike in her nerves.

"Come with me," Tara proposed abruptly.

Sookie's dark eyes snapped back to her friend, startled. "Excuse me?"

"To New Orlenes. After all you've been through, you need to get out of this place just as much as I do – away from all this vampire shit."

Sookie felt her thoughts flickering to Eric, reluctance knotted her insides up. She felt a strong tie to Bon Temps, to the house she had grown up in - and how could she leave Jason behind? How could she break her promise to Eric, especially now? She felt physically incapable of doing either.

"I - I can't."

"Why not?" Tara demanded. "You said it yourself, this place is poison."

"Jason - "

"Is a grown ass man," Tara pointed out. "He can take care of himself." Sookie looked at her pointedly, and she laughed a little. "Okay, maybe he can't."

As Tara leaned forward to grab her beer, the cubby doors were pushed open, and Eric climbed out. He was dressed in charcoal jeans and a dark gray, V-neck sweater that clung attractively to his extensive muscles - muscles that she remembered twitching as she kissed down his chest. He looked into the sitting room, faint curiosity on his face, cool blue eyes glowing softly in the dim light. Her heart skipped at the sight of him, a brief twitch of instinctive happiness that desolved into silent, resigned horror.

Beer in hand, Tara leaned back, opening her mouth, but then she noticed Sookie's gaze, and looked behind her. Sookie flinched as Tara screamed, flying to her feet. The bottle slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor, drops of liquid splattering Sookie's legs -

"Tara - "

Eric's fangs snapped down, a lethal snarl leaving his mouth as Tara grabbed the fire poker. He zipped to Sookie's side protectively, flinging a hand out to keep her safely behind him, fingers brushing her hipbone fleetingly.

"Keep the fuck away!" Tara screamed, swinging the poker wildly at him in panic. Eric's hand shot out, ripping the poker from her grasp and tossing it aside with ease that may have been comical in any other situation. "What the hell is he doing here?"

"I live here," Eric rumbled darkly. His expression was tight with fury, mouth hard, icy eyes burning with scalding intensity. Sookie touched the small of his back, trying to force some calm into him. She could feel the vicious growl vibrating his chest.

"What?" Tara demanded, voice hitting a shrill note. "You told me he was missing?" Sookie's expression showed her pained conflict clearly. "I poured my fucking heart out to you, and you talked about tellin' the truth, meanwhile you got somebody who wants to kill me in your basement!"

"No! Look, Tara, I know it sounds crazy but he isn't like that anymore - he couldn't pick his old personality out of a line up!"

"What, he's changed?" Tara sneered derisively. "Bullshit! All Eric Northman has ever wanted from you is in your pants, I can't believe even you were dumb enough to fall for that old line!"

The sheer spite in Tara's voice startled Sookie, but the subtle jab at her inexperience horrified her. She was almost able to feel Eric's protective fury swelling like the heat of a volcano. He made a violent movement forward, sending Tara recoiling with a startled shriek and Sookie darted forward, locking her arms around his broad chest.

"Eric, don't!"

"Do not," Eric snarled, a snakelike hiss to his voice, "Speak to her that way."

"_Eric_," Sookie pressed, gripping his arm pleadingly.

Eric did not falter, his stare drilling murderously into Tara, who focused on Sookie. "You think he's gonna listen to you? This is the fucker who sold you out to Russell Edgington, he tricked you into drinking his blood - "

To Sookie's discomfort, Eric turned to look at her, shock turning into horror. "Tara, stop it!"

"It ain't nearly enough! He locked Lafayette in a dungeon and tortured him! He's a fucking monster! You hate Eric Northman! Fuck the both of you!" Tara shrieked, racing out the door before Sookie could try to reason with her, slamming it loudly behind her.

Closing her eyes briefly, feeling the sting of hurt and heavy weight of horror, Sookie exhaled slowly. She opened her eyes to the retraction of Eric's fangs, tilting her head back to study his softly disturbed expression as he lowered himself to her couch, adverting his blue gaze from her.

Sookie lingered on her feet, worried and irrationally furious with Tara for putting that expression on his face. She tried to think of something to ease his mind with but there were so many different angles to cover that she decided to let him take the lead.

"Did I really do all thse terrible things your friend said I did?" Eric asked finally after she sat beside him.

"It isn't all black and white," Sookie said. There was no possible way she could defend his actions with Lafayette but she tried to view what happened with Russell Edgington clearly. Instead of actually giving her to Russell, Eric had been ready to burn with him. He cared.

But did it count as morally correct if she knew he wouldn't do that for anybody? She should care more about that than she did.

"I betrayed you," Eric said, unease moving through his eyes. It turned to shame when she was silent for a moment.

"I think you had a reason," she said quietly. Her memory of that day was mostly vague, aged and faded with bloodless, but she believed that.

"I hurt you."

Recalling their conversation about Godric, an ironic smile touched her mouth, fading quickly. "You saved me. You aren't a monster, Eric. You've never been cruel to me unless you _had _to be to save us both."

"And to others, your friends?"

Lacking another protest, Sookie reluctantly quoted Bill, "Other vampires would have done far worse."

Eric looked at her softly, unabashed affection and wonder in his blue eyes. "You let me stay with you despite all I've done, you protect me, and welcome me into your bed. Even now, you're defending me. There is a light in you, it's beautiful - I couldn't bare it if I snuff it out."

Panic fluttered frantically around inside Sookie, making her feel dizzy and sickened and utterly desperate. Her voice disappeared, locked in the back of her throat as her muscles went ridgid.

Eric rose from the couch, long legs carrying him away from her - _away_, he was leaving her -

The intense surge of sharp, cutting pain paired with her panicked desperation, and it smashed through the last solid wall around her mind. With the force of a lightning bolt, rendering all of her fears and reservations irrelevant, Sookie realized something.

It was utterly terriying and graitifying at the same time, and it was also the dumbest thing she had ever done but she was in love with Eric Northman. And he was walking away _with no idea -_

Sookie flew across the room, putting herself directly in front of him, shoving angrily at his shoulders. "And_ I_ can't bare for you to just walk away because you can't remember what kind of person you are."

Eric's face was tight, filled with sharp pain and fierce love. His hand cupped her jaw, callus' brushing against her soft cheek, and the desperation in the gesture matched the emotion boiling in the pit of Sookie's stomach. He wanted to leave as much as she wanted to be left.

"I'm clearly capable of extreme cruelty - if I harmed you - "

"You won't," Sookie said with great certainty, dark, earnest eyes burning up into his light blue. She leaned into his hand. "Trust me."

Eric looked down at her as the rough pad of his thumb tenderly caressed along her cheekbone, acceptance softened his face. Her frantic emotions left her in a soft, relieved exhale - but another tension spiked with an almost painful intensity as she met Eric's eyes.

His eyes were bright and softly hopeful, but there was a kindling inferno in his gaze, and the rough rasp of is skin against hers seemed like a promise. White-hot lust skewered Sookie between the thighs, causing her eyelashes to flutter, mouth parting slightly. Antitipation coiled in her stomach.

"I love you," Eric told her in a raw voice, leaning down to swallow her shocked gasp with his mouth.

Heart pounding ruthlessly, Sookie locked her arms around his shoulders, as though she could stop him from leaving if he wished to, and kissed him fiercely, pouring all of her lingering fear and panic and the bright, hopeful flare of happiness his words provoked into the gesture.

Eric's hand fisted tightly in her hair, fangs snapping down as she opened her mouth to him, and he took full advantage of her permission, tasting every inch of her mouth, mapping her out with his tongue. Sookie melded their bodies together, arching up into him, breasts pressing against his chest. Eric's large hands moved eagerly over her skin, cupping her face, stroking down her back, grasping the curves of her hipbones possessively.

Moaning softly into his mouth, Sookie pushed down on his shoulders and jumped upwards, wrapping her legs around his hips. His hardening erection jutted against her core perfectly, sending a hot flash of lust shooting up her spine. Sookie's hands clenched instinctively, nails biting into Eric's shoulders as she made a wrecked sound that was drowned out by Eric's vicious, animalistic snarl. He flattened a hand against the small of her back, and she squeezed his hips with her legs, bringing their hot spots in near-direct contact again.

Sookie cried out into his mouth, and Eric's arms tighted around her in a vice. There was the feel of motion, and then Sookie found herself being slamming down onto the couch. Her eyes flew open, a protesting sound leaving her mouth at the diminished contact between them, and her heart stuttered.

Eric Northman hovered above her, bracing his hands on either side of her head, silky strands of gold falling on his forehead, a wild, feral lust lit his striking blue eyes. His lips were red and swollen from her kiss, a slight shimmer of dampness on his lips, and his long fangs caught the light. He was hard and desperate, and he _loved_ her.

It took Sookie's breath away to look at him - and recognize him, as he was now and as he would be again, as the man she loved, her lover. Awe rolled through her, increasing the scalding burn of lust blazing low in her stomach. She touched his face with silent wonder and shaking fingers. Eric nuzzled her head affectionately, closing his beautiful eyes, face soft and vulnerable, feelings as clear as day.

"I love you, too," Sookie murmured, the words requiring no thought. Eric's eyes snapped open, cool blue eyes flaring with a dazzling intensity and flashing wildly with absolute happiness. The weight of his stare could easily crush her but Sookie looped an arm around his neck and brought him down to her, taking lead of a kiss, hands dragging his gray shirt up, nails scrapping his skin.

Within the space of a second, Eric's shirt was flying across the room, and he was rocking back on his heels, vicelike grip hauling her off the couch and into his lap where he held her to his chest with one hand that ripped frantically at the back of her dress, and gripped her blonde hair with the other before kissing her senseless.

It was a hot, messy kiss, sloppy with the force of his feelings, and Sookie had no hope of being able to catch up with him. She submitted to him, bearing down on his hard cock through the lace of her white panties and his dark jeans. Eric growled into her mouth, continuing to kiss her furiously, just barely letting her breathe, hands literally _tearing_ her pretty yellow dress to shreds, and he buckled desperately up into her, rubbing their hot spots together.

"Eric - " Sookie choked out, nerves sparking wildly from the sensation.

"You love me - " Eric gasped, clutching at her possessively as Sookie nodded helplessly to the truth. He made an almost pained sound into her mouth, and then her dress was gone, torn into tatters and flung aside. In movements almost too fast for her to progress, let alone see, her white bra and her lace panties met the same gruesome fate.

Sookie found herself flat on her back, his hands hungrily exploring her body. Eric kissed her with shocking sweetness, tender and loving as she hooked her fingers in his waistband, feeling along until she could pop the button. Despite the intolerable burn between her legs - almost enough to make her _scream_ at the mind-shattering intensity of it - she unzipped him carefully, knowing he rarely bothered with underwear.

Sliding a hand into his jeans, her hand brushed his cock lightly, feeling the contrast of his silk skin over what felt like steel. A shiver went through Eric's body, and his dick twitched under her touch. She felt the scalding heat between her legs flaring in reaction to the rough sound he made into her mouth, and clumsily pushed his jeans down his long, long legs.

Kicking his pants away violently, Eric positioned himself against her, drawing a stuttering gasp from Sookie, who instinctively widened her legs for him, and broke the kiss. His blue eyes were dark and hungry with lust, purely animalistic in his need, but the way he frantically sought her gaze was less so.

Sookie curled a hand around the back of his neck, meeting his eyes directly as she pushed her bare feet into his thighs, impatiently urging him forward. Eyes darkening further with arousal, Eric obeyed, pushing his length inside of her.

Fire burned up her spine, and crying out, grasping desperately at his shoulder for an anchor, Sookie arched her back, pressing her breasts to his chest, head rolling back into the couch cushions, a sharp gasp inflating her lungs.

"Errric," his name rolled from her mouth in a soft whimper.

Her legs turned vicelike around him, fingernails digging into his skin, and she clenched tightly around his dick. Eric gasped something in his mother tongue, using a soft, wonderous voice with the undertone of a snarl, and moved deep inside of her.

"Sookie - _Sookie_ - " Eric rasped, touching her face, thrusting inside of her in fast, frenzied movements. The pleasure made her cry out, squirming desperately under him, body burning up with crazed need.

Scratching her nails up his neck and into his golden hair, Sookie surged up, and Eric's arms snapped around her, clinging to her as he rocked back on his heels. Their bodies jolted against eachother, sending sparks of white-hot pleasure shooting through them both.

Sookie was wrapped around Eric's hips, skewered on his hard dick, clinging desperately to him with every muscle in her body. Eric grasped her hips hard enough to bruise, lowering his head to kiss her breasts over and over again. Arms tightening around his shoulders, heart pounding worryingly fast, Sookie swirled her hips in a circular motion, tight around his dick, before beginning to move up and down, riding him roughly.

Eric thrust up brutally into her, meeting her halfway. He gasped into her skin with every movement, reverting back to baser instincts, beautiful words that she couldn't understand spilling relentlessly from his mouth. Her pace was fast and desperate and frenzied, too needy for control.

The golden flames coiled tightly low in her stomach flared up with demand, driving her wild with lust. Her heart pumped blood through her chest, feeling ready to explode in her chest. Her hands clutched at his shoulders, at his hair, at his skin, searching instinctively for a tie to stop the volcano brewing between her legs from sweeping her away entirely.

Curses and prayers and his name tumbled from her mouth in a hoarse, keening sobs. Eric's voice was rough and wrecked from under her, hissing and snarling and growling frantic words in Swedish, hips thrusting manically upwards, dick throbbing hotly inside of her - every inch of him aching for release. His hands were rough, just shy of losing complete control of his dangerous strength.

"Min älskare - " Eric sobbed, snarling wordlessly into her skin - and then his fangs sank into her left breast in the exact moment his dick hammered into the perfect spot.

An explosion took place in Sookie's body, brilliant white blinded her, golden heat burst through her body like a shockwave, triggering every pleasure centre in her body into an euphoric haze. Her head snapped back, a wild scream tearing from her throat at the painful intensity, and she arched instinctively into Eric, clutching at him - her lover, her anchor.

It was a while before Sookie came crashing back down into her body, five senses kicking back in to the sound of Eric's earth-shattering, thunderous bellow. His arms clenched around her, crushing Sookie to him, as his hips jerked mindlessly upwards, spilling his cool seed inside of her.

Sookie was jolted in his lap from the force of his orgasm, and Eric snarled viciously, clutching her with animalistic possessiveness. Gasping in his arms, almost able to feel his agitation at the movement, Sookie's head lolled limply forward, burying her nose in Eric's golden hair.

His face was pressed against her collarbone, chest rumbling with a snarl, as though to scare away any others, while he scented the beginning of her throat, nuzzling her sweating skin adoringly. Tentatively, Sookie lifted a hand to pet his hair. Eric's desperate grip slacked ever so slightly, stiff muscles uncoiling, soothed by her acceptance and affection.

Eased by his own acceptance, Sookie felt herself growing limp with a boneless pleasure, closing her eyes blissfully as she rested her face in Eric's hair. She breathed his icy scent in, tenderly stroking his silky blonde hair, a silent apology for clutching at him so brutally.

There was a faint stinging pain on her breast. He must have stopped biting her before coming. Sookie kissed his head, a soft wave of peace filling her. Eric remained inside of her, still hard. Heat fizzled eagerly in her stomach, antitipating a second round.

"Jag älskar dig," Eric told her, a dark rasp to his voice. He kissed her collarbone repeatedly, tiny, hot kisses that made her stomach flutter. He turned his head, capturing her wrist, kissing her pulse wetly before returning his head to her collarbone. "_Min_ älskare, mitt hjärta."

"Eric," Sookie whispered, calling him back to her.

"I can't be without you," Eric told her, raspy voice turning wrecked, vulnerablity in his voice.

Sookie felt her heart skip, a soft pink blush rising to her cheeks as she swallowed the lump in her throat. She felt exactly the same - an uncontrollable urge to cling to him with everything in her and never let him go. If - when - he pulled away, she wasn't sure how she would be able to resist the call to him.

"Neither can I," Sookie told him softly, forcing herself to think of the man clinging to her body and not of the uncertain future. Eric moved, lowering his head to lick her left breast inches above her nipple. A flare of lust tightened in her gut, and she shifted on his lap. In perfect union, she and Eric stiffened at the sensation.

As his bite closed up on her breast, Eric's head lolled back to look at her with intensity crackling in his blue eyes. He tugged her close with the arm remaining tight around her waist, large hand sprawling possessively over the small of her back.

"This bite - " he touched the visible punctures, watching her expression intently, " - means you are mine, and I am yours."

Sookie stiffened instinctively, tension coiling her previously relaxed muscles, hesitance furrowing her brow. A sharp, keening hurt flared up in Eric's expression, flashing boldly across his face, making her insides contort with guilt and shame and self-hatred, before he locked the emotion away. His bright, happy blue eyes darkened with pained resignation.

"I'm your lover," Sookie promised fiercely, _needing_ to assuage his pain. "Only yours."

"You love me," Eric said quietly, as though seeking confirmation.

Slowly but firmly, afraid of admitting it but more opposed to hurting him, Sookie nodded. "I do," she confessed softly, feeling his tension easing faintly at the earnest truth in her voice. "And that's why I don't want to make you a promise I might have to break if..."

Eric stared at her with a frown as she bit her lip and adverted her gaze. "I will always want you," he told her, a solid truth in his words. He cupped her jaw and pressed their foreheads together.

Before Sookie could truly accept his words, the door flew violently open, revealing a furious Bill. Sookie shrieked in surprise as Eric's head snapped round. In the next instant, Sookie was moved from Eric's lap to the couch, her torn dress flung over her naked body as Eric zipped toward Bill with an enraged roar more befitting of a lion than a man.

Bill charged forward, and they collided with a snarl from each. In movements too fast for Sookie to follow, Eric and Bill fought, snarls increasing to roars of fury. Sookie was horrified by what she was seeing - she knew Eric would win but somehow, Bill had found him, and that put him in danger.

If Eric killed Bill, he would probably be put on trial, like Bill had been for killing Longshadow. If Eric didn't kill Bill, he would be in the same sort of situation. A pure, icy cold terror filled her veins, and her mind scrambed desperately for damage control but she couldn't think over the noise.

"Stop!" she screamed, clutching her dress closer to her body. "Both of you! Stop!"

Her shout distracted Eric, and when the two reappeared, Bill had Eric by the throat against the wall. Before Sookie could do more than feel the bite of a wild, desperate terror for her lover, Eric slapped Bill easily away and pinned him to the opposite wall, snarling viciously.

Sookie had a split second to notice how much longer Eric's fangs were before Bill was flung across her sitting room, smashing into the fireplace, and then Eric was there beside the younger vampire, reaching down to twist Bill's neck violently around, bones snapping and crunching obscenely.

Shocked and faintly horrified, Sookie stared at Eric. She wasn't afraid of him. None of her feelings for him changed at the sight of him like this - wild-eyed with a seething protective rage, hair crazed from her hands, completely naked as he reached back into her fire place for a make-shift stake.

Fear _for_ Eric bubbled up in her stomach, sharp and intense, leaving her mouth in a shout - "Eric, stop!"

"Who is this vampire to you?" Eric demanded aggressively, jealousy in his voice.

"No one!" Sookie snapped with brutal honesty. "He's your king!"

Eric looked up sharply at her, releasing the stake and Bill. The dark-haired vampire hit the floor hard, reached up to twist his neck back around with a loud, sickening series of snaps, moaning loudly in pain.

Distaste on his face, Eric looked at Bill as he stumbled to his feet, bleeding heavily, smaller fangs down in a rather pathetic snarl. "Are you certain, my lover?"

"I am your king!" Bill roared in outrage, face twisting with rage and hurt at Eric's term of endearment. "You have committed high treason which is punishable by the true death."

An image flashed through her mind of the first time she had seen a vampire being staked, Longshadow. His skin had rotted, his flesh had melted, and then he had exploded into a mess of slushy red blood. Eric...

"No," Sookie said instinctively, a harsh bite of horror in her voice. Eric seemed resigned when she looked at him, a great, frenzied terror rushing through her veins with the force of a train. "No, Bill, you can't - "

"This matter is not up for discussion," Bill snapped, not quite seeming able to look at her. His hurt and disgust warred with anger on his face.

"Like hell it isn't!" Sookie protested, placing herself between Eric and Bill, clutching her ripped dress to her body.

A brutal, immorally protective rage burned through her, twining effortlessly with fear and solid determination. Her blood boiled and bubbled hotly in her veins, more akin to lava moments before a volcanic eruption. She was scared and desperate and ready to do _anything_ to keep Eric safe.

Sookie recognized what was happened. She let it. Her bones rattled with an ancient power, too big and too hot for her to contain even if she had wanted to, her blood broiled, and the pressure coiled within her, ready to explode at the slightest say so.

"I have spoken!" Bill roared, and Eric snarled violently at him.

Her Light surged out of Sookie in one enormous blast of a blindingly brilliant flash of white-gold. Bill screamed in pain, and there was a thunderous sound followed by a loud thump, and the crack of plaster. The shock of such power bursting out from her fingertips made Sookie stumble backwards.

Eric's arms snapped tightly around her, holding her close to him as the radiant beam of her Light dimmed before fading.

* * *

><p><strong>Review!<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary: **Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.

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><p>Sookie felt dizzy and fragile, vision blurred and body limp. Flashes of beautiful white light replayed behind her closed eyelids. Arms - strong, steady and naked - held her in a firm grip as darkness swarmed around in her vision.<p>

"_Sookie_," Eric said desperately, those beautiful hands fitting the shape of her curves as he hauled her up against him. The panic in his voice called to her, dousing her flames of fury with icy cold shock. With a small dazed sound, she twitched, head lolling forward into his chest.

Eric's arms snared around her, crushing her to his chest, face dipping down to inhale the scent of her blonde hair. Sookie leaned into him, subconsciously letting him support all of her weight, and hugged him back. There was comfort in his cool scent, in his strong arms, and in wrapping her own arms around his muscular chest.

She loved him.

Sookie spent a moment in his arms, mind blank, simply enjoying him close, before her memory flared up, and her eyes flew open in horror, adrenaline shooting through her bloodstream. She stiffened, moving her head from his chest to look around for Bill.

There was a large hole in her wall, half of it had been knocked down over the stairs. She sucked in a breath at the sight, feeling faint twinges of shock and horror at the state of her home that abruptly faded. There was no time to worry about that when their heads were on the line.

Eric kissed her forehead, nosing his way down to her neck, head bent to kiss her pulse point softly. His hands burned into her naked flesh like brands, and the touch of his skin made her stomach flutter with contentment, even as she panicked.

If Bill was dead, they were in danger. Eric would meet the final death for treason, and she would be drained - or, her stomach churned at the thought, kept because even if people didn't know what she was, they would know how her blood tasted.

Like sunshine, as Eric had once told her.

If Bill was alive, Eric would still be killed for treason, and Bill would know that she _could_ control her Light. It would be the same outcome.

Stomach catching in terror, Sookie gripped Eric's golden blonde hair while he nuzzled her neck. Her breath caught and tears stung at her eyes. The thought of him being killed made her feel sick and utterly wild with terror, willing to do anything to keep him safe.

She tried to breathe evenly and think clearly, but it was no use.

There was only one thing she could think of to keep him safe. It was a terrible painful thought and risky as well, because when he got his memory back, things _would_ change, but it was the only option she could see to keep them both safe.

With Eric's rational side lost, it fell to her to keep _him_ from the true death for once. If last year was any indication, bad things happened when both of them were controlled by their emotions.

It was the logical thing to do - the smart thing to do.

"Stop," Eric said, a ring of authority in his voice that reminded of his usual self. He straightened up, taking her shoulders in his hands, and pressed his forehead to hers, vivid blue eyes light and unbearably gentle. "I can feel your panic, my lover."

"Is Bill dead?" asked Sookie, almost afraid of the answer.

A frown creased Eric's mouth but he shook his head, smooth forehead brushing against hers. "I smell no death in the air." A faint amusement flashed across his face. "You seem to have done the impossible and made him die for the day," he finished softly.

Relief flared through Sookie twined briefly with disappointment. She was glad Bill was alive because there was a _slim_ chance, she would be able to reason with him - better than his replacement, anyhow - but she could never forgive him for threatening Eric and for all he'd done and planned to do to her.

It was an ugly emotion that felt strangely petty to her, since she _knew_ it wouldn't last all that long, but she kept it close in her chest - in case, she needed to blast him again.

"We need to leave," Sookie said abruptly. Eric nodded seriously, not seeming even slightly surprised. His affectionate behaviour made sense now she knew Bill was unlikely to get up.

"A human home would be best," he said.

Sookie remembered what Bill had told her about all of Eric's properties being searched and had to agree with him. Biting her lip, she tried to think of a human home where she could take Eric. Lafayette and Alcide were ruled out instantly. She didn't know where Thomas lived, and considering Eric's jealousy of the Were, that would probably be a bad idea anyway.

It was worryingly predictable but Jason seemed like the best choice - the only choice.

Since Bill was unconscious under the rubble of her wall and Pam would never tell anybody, it would do for one day.

"We can go to Jason's," she said, feeling a faint twinge of worry and regret at the thought of bringing everything down on her brother.

Eric tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear before kissing her, a soft, affectionate press of his lips that she couldn't help but return. He lingered for a moment, naked body pressed against hers, a strange intense light in his eyes, "I would kill him for ever seeing you like this."

It should have upset her or angered her, but she wasn't too happy about Bill having known her like Eric now did these days.

"We're in enough trouble," said Sookie with a hint of dryness, glancing anxiously at the rubble spilling out into the hall. When her dark eyes met his light blue eyes, he smiled at her lightly, soothingly.

"I'll pack some of your things," Eric told her. When he pulled away, it was slow and reluctant, like he was worried to part from her. He studied her intently as he snagged his jeans from the floor and pulled them back on. Sookie buttoned them up for him and carefully zipped him up. Eric's hands went to her shoulders, squeezing her tense muscles. "Are you certain you are alright?"

Sookie realized how horrible it must have been for him when she fell after knocking Bill away. It figured that would be how Eric saw her Light for the first time. She tugged lightly on his belt loops, tilting her head to look up at his face, a soft smile gracing her mouth.

"I'm fine."

Nodding, Eric gave her one last conflicted look before zipping up the stairs, deftly dodging the pieces of rubble Bill was trapped under. Sookie bent down to grab her bra, and flinched slightly. He hadn't been _overly_ rough with her but she could feel him on her skin, and an imprint of him inside of her. It was strange but not unwelcome. Her panties were hopelessly damp so Sookie simply fastened her bra back on and pulled Eric's disgarded grey shirt on over it.

Gripping her panties (so not leaving _those_ behind for Bill ) and ripped yellow dress, she hurried across the room and darted down into the cubby. She located Eric's clothes and folded them all together briskly then shoved them in his large sports bag, before hesitating. There was a book beside the bed, laying face down and open to preserve his place. Sookie grabbed the book, putting a pair of socks to keep his place, before stashing it away with Eric's necklace. She swung the bag over her shoulder before sweeping her eyes over the small cubby.

Soon enough Bill would know about Eric's resting place.

She stiffened, strangely struck by the thought. She remembered sleeping in Eric's arms, sharing a second kiss with him, and watching him come undone from her touch in this room.

If she could change Bill's mind, they wouldn't be able to come back until no other vampire could get in. If she couldn't change his mind, Bill would be blasted again and neither of them would be able to return ever again.

Shaking her head, Sookie rushed up the ladder, stumbling out of the cubby just as Eric zipped down the stairs in a frantic blur. The bag was ripped out of her hands, a colourful pile of clothes was stashed away, then she was hauled over Eric's bare shoulder, crying out instinctively in surprise. Her vision blurred from the speed of his movements, air rushing passed her, sending her hair into disarray.

Eric's arms tightened on her waist, grasping the back of his grey shirt and pulling it further down her thighs. Sookie clung to him desperately, heart picking up speed and racing in terror, jaw clenching together to stop a scream. There was only one reason Eric would be acting like this - another vampire was coming.

Warm air flew passed her and the ground was a blur, so it was a moment before Sookie realized the ground was getting further away, and the rush of air was becoming more forceful, turning her hair into tiny whips.

"On my God!" Sookie cried out, abruptly realizing what was going on.

Eric was _flying_.

She dimly remembered Bill telling her that some vampires could fly, like Dracula. In fact, she remembered Eric and Russell swooping down from the sky to stop her car but in the chaos, it hadn't really sunk in. On some level, under the instinctive terror that looking down provoked, she was hardly surprised that Eric was one of the few who could fly.

Balancing the full sports bag, Eric abruptly moved her in his grip, drawing another panicked yell from her, until he was clutching her to his chest, tucked under his chin. Sookie wrapped her legs around his hips and her arms around his shoulers, every muscle in her body clinging as tightly to him as humanly possible.

The blonde Viking vampire gripped her tightly in return, roughly rubbing small soothing circles deep into her skin. His bare chest rumbled against her cheek, a deep comforting sound. He seemed to know how much more comforting it was holding on by her own steam. Her breath was harsh and panicked but she trusted him not to drop her.

She squirmed in his grip, soft cheek rubbing against the silky skin of his chest. He was lukewarm and cooling by the second. Eric moved against her, hauling her closer to him, either afraid she would fall or enjoying her lack of panties.

Nervously, Sookie locked herself around him tighter. No matter how distracting he was, it was difficult to forget how far up they were. If she looked down, she would be able to see all of Bon Temps and most of Shreveport.

Sookie _wasn't looking down_.

And then Eric stopped in the air, beginning to descend down to the Earth. Sookie cracked her eyes open to see trees around them before his feet hit the floor with a slight jolt. She continued to cling to him for a moment before tentatively reaching a bare foot out. When it touched solid ground, she relaxed, heart leaping in her chest with relief, and let him go.

Her legs felt slightly unsteady but they held. Relieved, she looked around and was surprised to recognize where she was. It was the lake where Eric had gone after drinking the Fairy blood, where he had almost burned while he kissed her and she had brought him time by giving him her blood.

"Is this far enough away?" Sookie asked him quietly. Realizing she was still clutching her torn yellow dress in one hand, she hurled the objects into the lake.

"It should be," Eric said, a note of uncertainty in his voice. "We shouldn't stay long."

Sookie opened her mind a crack, just enough to alert her if someone - vampire, human _or_ Fae - was coming, and ducked down with her knees locked together to unzip the bag. She didn't take time to study what he'd packed her. She pulled on a pair of white panties under his shirt followed by a pair of shorts, socks and sneakers but she hesitated before taking off his shirt.

The woods were so open, though she could sense anyone, and the fabric smelled faintly of him.

Eric inhaled quietly. "I can't smell anyone," he said quietly, eyes darkening to an almost navy blue as he crouched down beside her, breathing. "You smell of sex and sunshine and me," he added in almost blissful tone.

Sookie swallowed at the look on his face, hungry and happy over such a simple yet intimate thing. It reached her through the panic and lust sparked between her legs, where she could still feel the imprint of him.

"Sunshine?" she questioned softly.

Eric took one of her hands and kissed her knuckle so sweetly that her stomach clenched, "The light..."

"My Light," she told him, squeezing his fingers slightly.

His pale silken skin glowed in the moonlight, catching on his golden hair and pale blue eyes. He was so beautiful. Sookie reluctantly released his hand and swiftly switched his grey shirt for a white vest-tank top with a sweetheart neckline, one button out of three undone, showing her cleavage off.

Eric was staring at her, that hungry darkness deepening in his eyes, a dozen wonderful possibilities in his gaze. "There are so many parts of you I haven't tasted yet," he said in a low, husky voice, roughened by thinking of those scenarios.

Sookie froze, heat fizzling through her blood like sparks and reaching her cheeks. Her voice failed at the implied promise in his voice.

As it turned out, she didn't need to reply. Something tore through her mind like a bullet, a dark abyss racing towards them at a speed unusually faster even for vampires. Fear cut through her like glass, and her doe eyes were round in horror, "Eric - "

Wrath darkening his eyes, fangs snapping down with a brutal noise, Eric whirled around and charged - just as a blur shot out of the woods - and the two collided with a smash - Eric bellowed in fury, echoed by the other figured - they grappled, twisting briefly, then a fully white (bare) blur in the shape of an arm grabbed a clothed shoulder - another bare arm slammed into a darkly clothed chest - then -

All stopped.

It was over before Sookie had even been able to call upon her Light.

A dark-haired unknown vampire stood in Eric's grasp, a stray branch her lover must have grabbed while charging was sticking out from his chest. Eric was grinning, a brutal expression on his face as he grasped the other vampire by the neck and threw him high up into the air, backwards -

The unknown vampire dissolved into sickly goo and blood over the lake, remains and his clothing sinking deep under the surface.

Sookie tried to control her horror. Eric had no idea what he had just done, but she did. The staking of another vampire was another punishable offense. Though not as bad as staking the King, she was betting, but _bad _nonetheless. Bill could easily use this as an excuse to have Eric killed - as if almost staking _him_ wasn't enough.

Unless there was a way of convincing Bill that Eric had nothing to do with it - and she knew damn well that there _wasn't_, even if Eric hadn't staked the vampire, Bill's injured pride would prompt him to frame Eric for it.

_Lorena,_ Sookie thought abruptly.

What vampire would trust a man who helped a girl stake his own maker? Blackmail.

It was a risky game that could easily turn around on her - but if Bill _believed_ he loved her -

Sookie inwardly scoffed to herself. His love, if he actually did love her or just believed he did, was selfish. His ego, however, was all-consuming, like Pam said. That could be useful. But if their scent lingered on the area -

Zipping up the bag and rising to her feet in one smooth movement, Sookie moved towards him hurriedly, making a mental note to do something to drown out their scent beside the lake tomorrow morning.

Eric turned his head slowly, fangs glistening lowly in the moonlight, a strange look in his cool blue eyes. "The alligators will dispose of the remains," he said in his soft but deep voice, attempting to reassure her.

"We have to go - before someone else - "

Eric breeched the small distance between them, sweeping her legs easily out from under her and lifting her effortlessly in a bridal carry. Sookie wrapped one arm around his bare neck and clutched the sports bag along with his shirt in her lap with the other, head heavy with thoughts, heart fast with panic. Eric shot up into the sky, and she stretched up to whisper directions to Jason's house in his ear.

Eric landed a few feet from Jason's place, knees bent to take the jolting impact.

"Do I know your brother?" Eric asked quietly, craddling her close in his arms before reluctantly letting her down.

Sookie paused, trying to think if they had ever met. To her surprise, Eric took the shirt - the one that most probably smelt like sex and her and him - and pulled it on with a gorgeous rippled of snowy pale muscles.

Her train of thought stuttered into repeative circles of _oh_..._oh...oh..._ before she snapped herself out of her daze.

"I think so," she said slowly, vaguely remembering Jason calling Eric _the crazy tall one _after she returned from Faerie. "You scare him, I think, so he might be a little..."

Jason was the only one Sookie was sure wouldn't deliberately betray either of them - he just wasn't wired like that, and she _was_ his sister - but she doubted he would be happy to see Eric again.

Eric was frowning faintly, seeming disturbed by her answer - like he had been by Tara's blunt raging. Sookie swung the bag up over her shoulder and stepped forward to take his hand, catching his soft blue gaze with her dark eyes.

"I was never afraid of you," Sookie told him.

In a way, it was true. She had been afraid of his intensity and his desire for her, but not of _him_. She hadn't been afraid of him hurting her, simply of the things he did to her emotionally. He was changes and new beginnings and risks that she was so scared of taking.

But looking up into his face, Sookie couldn't regret a single one of the risks she'd taken by being with him - especially when he was like this, the king of her heartstrings battling tirelessly against her better judgement.

It was easier to resist him and deny them both when he bounced back with aggressive advances.

Eric laced their fingers together, creating a link between them, as though he was worried what might happen if he didn't hold onto her. "You're very brave," Eric said quietly, gruff voice scratching lightly over her skin.

Hand in hand, they walked - she hurried, he was casual - up the drive, and she knocked loudly on the door. After a moment, Jason opened the door. He was shirtless in a pair of blue jeans, dark circles under his eyes - which went wide as he took in her and Eric.

Sookie's hair was unkempt and tangled, a distinctly wild light, verging on panic, in her eyes. Eric's expression was shocking soft and untroubled, looking around the porch with curiosity. Their hands were linked boldly, tellingly, together.

"What in the hell?" Jason asked, starting back slightly in shock.

"It's a really long story," Sookie said suddenly, the choppy tone in her voice causing Eric to trail a thumb across the back of her hand. It calmed her slightly. "You need to invite him in."

"What?" Jason's entire expression widened with shock. "Sookie - "

"He isn't himself," Sookie explained tersely, a slight rustle from the woods provoking her panic. She couldn't calm even with Eric so undisturbed by the sound. "And people - other vampires - are trying to kill us, so could you please just invite him in?"

Jason's brotherly concern was provoked by her stiff tone and nervous disposition. Still he hesitated a moment before saying, "Come on in."

"Thank you," Eric said in his soft, polite tone, stepping over the threshold with her. Sookie closed the door behind them and shrugged slightly at Jason's stunned expression.

"He _really_ isn't himself."

Jason rubbed his face in confusion. "What the hell is goin' on, Sook? You in some kind of trouble again?"

"Again?" Eric wondered with some concern, directing his question towards her.

Again, Jason looked taken aback, but Sookie caught his eyes and shook her head at him. For once, her brother listened to her instead of barging thoughtlessly ahead with his questions - like he would have done before his disappearance a few days ago.

Her growing worry for Jason and her terror for Eric and herself clumped together in an unbearable weight on her chest, agitation spreading through her limbs.

"We've only got an hour before dawn," reminded Sookie. She half wondered why Jason was still up and dressed so late but there was no time for questions. "Is there anythin' we can board the windows of the spare room up with?"

"Er - should be some planks of wood in the basement," Jason said uncertainly. Sookie looked up at Eric questioningly, who nodded - that would work. "I'll go grab them for ya."

While Jason went off to grab the wooden planks, Sookie took Eric to the spare room. The walls were painted a plain white, and there was a double bed in the middle of the room, surrounded by some old pieces of furniture. It was a fairly small room with only one window looking out over the back yard.

She had stayed round Jason's several times after he'd moved back to their parents' place in the guest room. To her faint but pleasant surprise, the sheets were clean, like they'd been recently changed.

There were old peeling stickers on the wall, some dark blue and others a pretty pink, clashing with each other. There was a faint orange stain on the carpet from spilled juice. She felt faintly self-conscious of that, and dropped their bag on top of it.

Eric looked strange in her room, like a violent clash of her two lives. The last time she'd slept in this room, she had been a virgin and content with that. Less than an hour ago, she'd been having sex with Eric on her couch before Bill burst in on them. Now, they were running from a bunch of angry vampires.

"This was your room?" Eric wanted to know, moving his tall body around in the small space with grace as he looked around.

"Me and Jason used to share a room when we were really little," Sookie explained.

However strange it was to see Eric in her childhood bedroom, it was even stranger to talk about her childhood after he'd _killed_ another vampire, snapped Bill's neck after she zapped him through a wall, and have him actually listening to what she was saying - actually caring about her history.

It was...

No, she told herself sternly. Don't go there.

It was up in the air whether Eric would be her _lover_ when his memory returned but she knew one thing - he would never be her boyfriend. It felt like such a small, petty term compared to Eric, who was _one thousand years old _and so intense, too much for that normal word.

"My parents were thinking of movin' some place else before the flood," she added unnecessarily.

Eric didn't seem to think so. There was an openly fond smile on his face as he studied the room. "I cannot imagine you living anywhere else," he said, clearly referring to her Gran's house.

Sookie smiled back at him, absently reaching back to push all of her golden hair over one shoulder. She felt the same way, and it was strangely pleasing that he thought so as well. It was a small thing but it mattered to Sookie. It felt like he knew her.

Before she could express her agreement, Jason returned with several boards of wood under his arm, nails, hammer and silver duct tape to cover any cracks. Eric helpfully took the boards from Jason, who passed the other stuff over to Sookie.

"You should get some sleep," Sookie said before Jason could offer to help, like he intended to. She looked pointedly at him, letting him know his sleeplessness hadn't been looked over.

Before she could explain to Jason, she needed to secure the room for Eric, but she didn't want Jason to be even more exhausted because of her. It could wait a few hours. Since the other vampires didn't know her and their scents would be mostly up in the sky, Jason was safe.

"I don't mind helpin'," Jason protested.

Sookie braced a hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. "Jason, you have work tomorrow. We can take it from here."

* * *

><p>Eric and Sookie worked in harmonized silence as they boarded up the windows with twenty minutes left until dawn.<p>

"Shower," Sookie murmured tiredly. Her adrenaline had crashed, leaving her limbs heavy and her mind crumbling under the strain of everything.

Eric seemed to sense how exhausted she was or perhaps he was tiring himself, so close to sunrise, because he simply nodded and followed her to the bathroom. They undressed each other with surprising chastity, hands only briefly exploring the exposed flesh. Eric lingered for a while on her breasts, a happy grin darting across his mouth as he leaned down to kiss his unhealed, claiming bite. Sookie inhaled unsteadily at the contact, thoughts dancing through her mind of what they could be doing.

What she wanted to be doing.

The instant the shower turned on, hot water raining down on them, things heated up.

His hands touched and traced her body, his mouth kissed and licked and bit with blunt human teeth. She kissed him hotly, stroking her tongue down his fangs, hands moving unchecked around his body, feeling his well-defined muscles and silken skin. She grasped his ass playfully, and Eric snapped hard.

Her back hit the wall, water pouring down on her body, darkening her sunny blonde hair to a dark golden color - almost exactly like his. Eric covered her body with his own, cool blue eyes blackened with lust, and kissed her forcefully - _mine, mine, mine_.

_Yes, yes, yes_, Sookie arched into his body with an unsteady, hitching moan, locking her arms around his muscular shoulders and opening her legs as he lifted her up against the wall then sank eagerly inside of her. It ached a little for Sookie, still unused to his size, but she wanted the slight burn, the stretch, and then the feel of him so tightly inside of her.

Eric stared at her with dark, wild eyes. His expression, however, was softened with awe and a glowing happiness, lover to lover.

"I love you."

It could have been either one of them who said it, both felt it.

The second time wasn't as frantic and desperately rushed as the first. It was softer and sweeter though still passionate and possessing, like Eric was re-establishing their tie to one another or soothing the aftershocks of their first time. He thrusted into her with short, shallow thrusts, only pulling away an inch or two before pushing back inside of her, unable to be parted from her an inch more.

Sookie enjoyed the closeness and the barely contained desperation, urging him on with moans against his jawline or repetitive gasps of his name in a tight, needy tone. She tried to keep quiet but her desire for him came across loudly in her voice, dragging guttural snarls and precious growls of her name from him.

He didn't bite her until she asked him to, sinking his fangs deeply inside of her breast and pulling her into him, clutching at her wet body just shy of painfully. The feel of herself being pulled inside of him drove Sookie over the deep end, and Eric crashed down with her, brilliant flashes of white marring their vision as pleasure exploded through them.

Eric kissed her wetly, messily, afterwards, devouring her mouth possessively as his second bite healed over the first. Sookie gripped his hair and kissed him back, throbbing around his (slightly) softened length inside of her. Reluctantly, they broke that connection a little while later. Sookie staggered out of the shower. The aftermath of her orgasm raced around her body, muscles relaxed from bliss.

Eric turned off the shower as Sookie wrapped a towel around her naked body then grabbed another that she wrapped around his waist. He snared his arms around her tightly, and she relaxed into his hold, wrapping her arms around him, breathing his cool scent in. Eric sat down on the closed toliet seat, pulling her down into his lap.

Without a word spoken between them, Sookie reached back for another towel to dry his dripping, dark blonde hair. Eric laid his head on her chest, vivid blue eyes closed, listening silently to her heart as she gently patted the droplets of water on the back of his neck dry. He remained silent for several long moments, still though not tense under her, before he moved to drop an open-mouthed kiss to her shoulder and lifted his head to look her in the eye.

"I want you to take my blood," Eric told her softly.

Sookie jerked in shock, the intimate peacefulness surrounding her cracking down the middle. "What?"

Before she could stop him, Eric lifted his wrist to his mouth, fangs snapping down, and bit down deeply. Sookie flinched automatically at the sight of his blood, protective instincts jolting, but she couldn't act with his eyes like that - dark and fierce and the bluest thing she had ever seen.

"Drink me," Eric said hoarsely as she stared at him in numb horror.

It was wrong. Eric wasn't himself. He didn't know what he was doing, what he was offering.

If she took his blood like this, he would be stuck feeling echos of her emotions when he was himself again. Though he had seemed pretty eager to get his blood into her before, things would be different like _this._

They hadn't had sex before. He hadn't fallen in love with her, and she hadn't deepened her unusual affection for him into love before. They were different.

And she _hated_ who she'd been with Bill - naive and _beyond_ stupid and struck blind by what she would never know was love. She'd made excuses and ignored and lost her grip on reality to the point of self-destructive sanity. She would rather die than return to that clouded, hazy dream state.

Eric lowered his head, something needy and animalistic in the gesture. Her heart stuttered for him. "We will be one."

His words struck Sookie clean to the bone, a sharp keening sensation of longing rising from the pit of her stomach.

Her love for him sang through her body like golden bliss, sparks and small explosions of glowing warmth soaring through her. It had a dark, wildly protective side that filled her with recklessness, and all of that intensity slammed into her mind with aching pleadingly.

Selfishly, she wanted that. A small piece of him to keep with her when - if, she half-heartedly tried to be hopeful rather than simply painfully resigned - things died between them. She nearly leaned forward and accepted his blood but the same love that urged her desperately to do so fought against her.

Eric didn't know what he was doing. It wouldn't be fair...

His vivid blue eyes locked her brown eyes into an unflinching gaze.

"Eric, you don't..." Sookie tried to protest numbly, half-heartedly.

"I want this," Eric said lowly, shifting her even closer on his lap. His eyes drilled remorsely through her, intensity making her head spin. "As I am and as I was, I can feel it in my blood."

He looked like his self again, determined and certain with his actions, pleased with then even. The many objections in Sookie's head was crushed by the look of certainty on his face. When it came to Eric, she wasn't capable of clinging to her rationality - she shouldn't love him, she shouldn't have slept with him, she shouldn't do this.

It was going to cause problems - it wasn't fair - it was reckless - how could she tell her feelings from his own - what if she ended up losing herself again -

Swayed by her emotions, Sookie ducked her head and sealed her mouth over his bloody wound.

* * *

><p><strong>I NEVER INTENDED FOR THIS TO HAPPEN!<strong>

**I swear these characters have minds of their own...I try to talk them out of something...they do it anyway...**

**Also? You got cliffhanger'd. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary **Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.

* * *

><p>Eric made a noise deep in his throat, low and approving, as Sookie's mouth sealed around his wound, and sucked gently. His blood hit her tongue and filled her mouth, copper-iron taste provoking an instinct pang of distaste - before she swallowed. Her breath caught wetly against his skin as a wave of intensity crashed over her, and made her sway, dizzy with the startling sensation.<p>

Eric caught her with a hand to the small of her back, and pulled her closer in his lap. His thigh was firm and tense under her. A low noise rumbled through his chest, a possessive growl, as he touched her. Hands grasping his wrist, her tongue flicked out of her mouth, and licked at his wound. More blood flooded her mouth. The taste was dulled and rendered unimportant by the feelings.

His blood was inside of her, and it would linger for a very long time.

Happiness shot through her at the thought, a bubbling glee that surged through her body. She liked that idea more than she should - far more. It was dangerous to them both, but Sookie couldn't feel the doubt and fear she should.

Feelings battered her brain with the force of a twister, ruthlessly plundering through her. They were _E__ric's_ feelings. An almost violent possessiveness, slightly softened with the scalding blaze of love, a fierce love twined with repeatedly bruised insecurity. It ripped her up and burned the pieces of her heart to feel that from him - especially knowing she had caused that with her hesitance - and knowing she would again - because none of this was fair on who he would be again -

His love raged around her skull, ready to split it open, and the possessive _need_ broiled her blood, overwhelming Sookie. She felt a pressure clamping around her, too much - too much - ready to scream - she _couldn't breathe -_

"Don't be afraid," Eric said hoarsely, lips pressing into her neck, tasting her skin. His fangs were down, brushing against her skin, but he did not bite. Instead his wrist bumped lightly against her teeth, encouraging her to take more.

His bood was slick and coppery between her lips, filling her mouth with a scalding heat, and the pressure intensified, almost painfully. With every drop, her blood grew hotter and hotter, like a flow of magma - until something locked into place, hard and unmoving - and Eric's happiness, so tart and intense that it _hurt_ in a sourly sweet way, exploded through her -

They were one.

The knowledge soared through her gleefully, her love burning through her, twisting joyfully with his. They were pieces of each other now, fitting together perfectly and unbreakably -

_Oh_, she thought, mind rolling back to hard-eyed Eric. Her stomach sank like a dead weight, bringing her happiness crashing down. A sickly shame prickled all over her skin - _he _hadn't chosen this, not really, and she had taken this so selfishly from him - blood was bad enough - but _this_ was so much more -

Gasping wetly, blood hot and slick all over her mouth, like a claim, Sookie wrenched herself away from his wrist, falling against his chest dizzily.

"Wait," she managed, voice breathless and husky. His blood was hot and sticky on her face. As she automatically reached up to rub it away, smearing it all over her face, she made the mistake of looking at her lover.

The supernova blazing in his blue eyes stole her voice. Eric looked dangerous, possessed, like a shark scenting blood in the water. His own blood was stark on his pale skin, but nothing could compare to rabid, crazed desire in his face. Lust sliced mercilessly through her, tearing through the visceral tissue and twisted violently between her legs. He was hard under her thigh, throbbing harshly enough for her to feel the movement through their towels.

"I - I shouldn't take too much," Sookie finished weakly, dark eyes huge and dilated as she stared at him.

"Take it all," Eric said hoarsely. "My blood is yours."

His words lodged into her chest, stopping her lungs for one intense moment, before she sucked in a breath. Sookie moved forward, bypassing his wrist for his lips, claiming them in a deep kiss. Eric returned her passion, licking at his blood on her lips and massaging it into her mouth with his tongue. When she half-broke the kiss for air, Eric murmured her name softly.

"Shh," she said quietly, pressing a second kiss to his lips. It was chaste and adoring. She held his face in her hands, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs. His stubble rasped against her skin, and his sigh washed over her face as he touched their foreheads together gently. He soaked up her affection hungrily, craving more, and she gave it to him, snuggling closer in his lap.

"I love you," Eric said.

Her heart ached sharply, pain and happiness boiling over together. The mixture brought tears to her eyes, and she couldn't let herself say the words back - not right now. Though she did.

It was steadier and more fierce than her fake-ass love for Bill.

It was going to kill her, she felt certain of that.

Sookie resisted the urge to cling to him, to cry and keep him with her for as long as she could, but it wasn't easy. Her smile was wavering and wet. "We need to clean up, and go to bed. It's almost dawn."

Eric opened his eyes, eyelashes brushing against the back of her lids. It tickled faintly, and her smile became slightly genuine, even as the ache in her chest deepened into a bloody wound. Eric smiled with her, though his eyes were dark with desire. There was more than sex to his love for her.

After cleaning the blood from each other, Eric pulled on his jeans while she covered herself with his shirt, and swept her up into his arms. He carried her at vampire speed back to her old room.

"I like you in my clothes," Eric murmured, kicking the door closed behind him and carrying her to the bed. His movements were slower, weary, but he seemed unwilling to put her down. "But would you lay with me without them?"

Goosebumps rolled over her skin, and she swallowed, stomach contracting with desire. She wanted to feel his skin against hers, even if they didn't do anything sexual. It was the intimacy she wanted. Because of that, she could say no, but all she could think about were his wounded eyes when she asked him to heal his bite from her skin, and the lingering bruised feelings as she drank his blood.

"Okay," said Sookie softly. Eric smiled again, the _genuine_ smile that still surprised her to see, and reluctantly put her down on her feet.

Instead of taking off his shirt straight away, Sookie grasped the waistband of his pants as he was straightening up. Eric looked down at her, blue eyes a fraction wider than before, and moved to touch her hands, softly stroking her fingers. She popped the button on his pants, sliding a finger behind the zipper to protect his skin before drawing it down.

Eric's hips pressed forward into her touch, fingers tightening on her hands. Sookie smiled up at him, a flush to her cheeks. There was a sensual edge to their intimate interactions, one that made her heart race and her skin hypersensitive to his every move. Shifting her hands, she pulled his pants down, and Eric kicked them away across the floor.

He was beautiful, every inch of him. She loved his legs, so long and graceful. She could feel herself throbbing, missing the feel of him inside of her, but they couldn't. Not now. Too close to dawn.

His eyes were locked on her, glowing with desire. "Your turn."

Sookie bit her lip, pushing her discomfort aside at exposing herself so fully, and reached for the edge of his shirt. Once again, Eric followed her hands, stroking up her thighs to grasp her hipbones. The slow simmering between her thighs burned fiercely, turning her thoughts into cinders - especially when he followed the line down to her centre. She gasped, eyes widening, mouth parting. His rough thumb moved across her, locating her quim easily and slipping through the slick desire created for him.

Her hands shot out to grasp his forearms. "Eric."

"You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Eric told her earnestly. With his other hand, he pulled his shirt over her head, and she automatically helped him. In the exact same moment that his shirt was thrown aside, his thumb pushed inside of her. The violent onslaught of lust stunned Sookie, and her legs failed her.

Eric went down with her, sprawling on top of her lightly, a wonderful weight shy of crushing. Her breasts pressed against his chest, heated skin against cool. Her legs hooked instinctively around the backs of his thighs, opening herself to him. Eric made a rough, choked sound and stared at her with wildness in his eyes, the throb of his hard cock agains her thigh.

"I want you," he said, almost pleadingly.

Something was crushed inside of Sookie at the weight in his words, and she wrapped an arm around his neck, leaning up to kiss him fiercely. Easily understanding the gesture, Eric kissed her back brutally, positioning himself before sliding inside of her.

The rest of the dark slipped away unnoticed by the two as they joined together. Sookie was lost in the thrust of Eric's hips, reacting instinctively to his movements, a tighting of the flaming coil in her stomach until - some time later - her body exploded into a rush of sparks and fire, pure pleasure bursting through her. Eric's raw growl of pleasure smashed through her mind, and she felt him shooting inside of her before a small amount of his weight came down on her.

Somehow they had ended up under the covers, pressed so close together that there wasn't an inch of them not touching.

Sookie wrapped her trembling arms around him, hugging him close as they slowly came down from their pleasure. Eric licked her neck, tongue sliding wetly over her skin, like he wished to mark his place. He hadn't bitten her, and she wasn't collected enough to do more than note the fact.

She liked his weight, his presence, the feel of his skin on her.

Eric kissed her neck, a quick peck that could have broken her heart easy, and carefully disengaged from her body. Instead of rolling away, like she'd heard most men would, he moved down her body. Eric kissed his bite on her breast, and then kissed her other breast, before lowering his head to brush his lips against her heart.

That kiss did break her heart.

"I will stay with you for as long as you want me," Eric promised, laying his head on her chest and settling between her legs. There was a solemn note to his voice, a seriousness that allued to his unwavering belief in his words.

Sookie tightened her arms around him. Her brown eyes were tearful, aching from the strain of holding back tears, and her heart felt beaten in her chest. Every pump of blood was like another dagger. She couldn't afford to start believing him.

But she wanted to - _so_ _much_.

* * *

><p>Sookie woke up slowly, feeling sluggish and heavy. It wasn't a slow awakening. One moment, she was drowning in the darkness, and the next, she was staring at the wall. The room was dark. Eric was wrapped around her, knees locked into the back of hers, arms around her, back curving protectively around hers. He was asleep as he spooned her, her hands were clasped over his, and his lips soft were against her shoulder.<p>

A warm twisted through her stomach at the realisation.

It was sadly short-lived.

Reality knocked at her mind. She needed to get up and - explain to Jason, go to work, try to think of a way to deal with that staked vampire, and then there was Bill . . .

Fleeing Bon Temps was a horrific thought but she had to entertain the thought, however gingerly. She couldn't imagine leaving Sam and Tara and Lafayette and _Jason_ behind. Her home, her job, her life. She was comfortable where she was, but she would prefer to lose it all then for Eric to die.

Sookie escaped Eric's embrace, and went to take a shower. She pulled on her Merlotte's uniform in the bathroom before returning to the room. Her eyes were instantly drawn to Eric, and her heart melted in her chest. She went to him, sitting beside him. He looked so vulnerable when he slept, soft around the eyes and mouth; open, young, tender.

God. How dumb had she been, thinking she could keep her heart from this man?

It rivalled her blind belief in Bill.

Almost unaware of her actions, Sookie stroked his face, memorising the softness of his blond hair, the smoothness of his skin until his stubble appeared. She rested her hand against his cheek, and simply looked at him for once. She wanted to keep this moment with her forever, the trusting vulnerablity in his sleeping face, and the freedom to touch him like this - so openly loving.

Eric's eyelid peeled up, a slit of blue locking on her. His eye closed again as he was dragged back to sleep, unalarmed by her presence with him. Her heart was still hurting as she leaned forward to kiss his hairline, lingering briefly to breath him in, before forcing herself to pull away.

She would ask him about the surreal connection when things were settled.

The blonde telepath unzipped the bag at the end of the bed. An iron knife glimmered up at her from a pile of their clothes. Sookie stilled, staring at the knife. She felt a huge mess of feelings swelling through her at such a small knife, but a huge gesture.

Eric hadn't known where her water guns were but he'd known where she kept her iron knife. Despite his hurry, he had packed it for her - something she could use against not simply the Fae but others as well if she needed too.

* * *

><p>Sookie found Jason at the breakfast table. He turned around as she entered the room, pizza box in one hand, and coffee mug in the other. There were dark circles under his, matching hers perfectly. Neither of them were running on enough sleep.<p>

Jason seemed to recognise this as well. In an act of great sacrifice, he put his coffee aside, and poured her a cup. Sookie took it gratefully, and swiped a slice of meat feast pizza from the box.

It was a blueberry pancake morning, but she didn't have the energy to make them, and Jason didn't ask.

Instead he slung an arm around her, squeezed her briefly, and she relaxed into the contact, resting her head on his chest.

"I missed you," Sookie told him quietly.

"Yeah," Jason said, his voice thick from more than the recently swallowed pizza in his stomach. "Me too."

Sookie wanted to ask what had happened to him but when she looked up at him, she couldn't bring herself to ask. There was something fragile about her brother right now, and she felt an icy creeping of fear at the idea of pushing too hard.

"What the hell happened last night?" Jason asked, clearing his throat.

Sookie hesitated. "I'm not sure how much I can tell you."

"I think I got a right to know what the hell brought you to my doorstep with that crazy vampire. He ain't like Bill, you said."

"He ain't like Bill," Sookie replied, an abrupt firmness in her voice. Jason shifted at the near violence in her tone. "You can't trust Bill, Jason. He ain't what I thought he was."

Jason looked at her, and then he began to bristle. "Did that damn fanger hurt you?"

"You don't count almost drainin' me dry in Jackson as hurting me?" Sookie answered, keeping the incident with the Rattarys to herself. If Jason knew how her relationship had started - drugged on his blood and the bliss of first love, deliberately harmed for the sake of a petty Queen - he would flip out, and maybe actually kill Bill.

If there was one thing she was starting to understand, it was that her unusual talent for surviving crazy situations had been passed to Jason as well. Maybe it was a Fae thing. She had to warn him of their batshit extended family before night fell - and about everything else.

As it was, Jason's face tightened with anger at the memory. "I shoulda killed him for that."

"I shouldn't have _forgiven_ him for that," Sookie replied, unable to keep disgust out of her voice.

"Why did you?" Jason asked, narrowing his eyes at her. "You still ain't forgiven me for selling your house - "

"The house ain't an issue anymore, Jason."

Even if Bill wouldn't have been able to barge in last night had Jason not sold their family home, she wasn't about to lay that on his shoulders - not now. Something was hurting him, and she didn't want to make it worse unless it came down to life and death.

Her brother frowned at her. "What do ya mean by that?"

Sookie bit down on her lip. "I promise I'll tell you everything tonight."

An odd expression passed over Jason's face, a realization that disappeared as quickly as it had come. "Everything?"

Nodding truthfully, Sookie glanced up at him. "Would you give me a ride to work? My car was kind of left behind last night."

Jason hesitated. "I ain't going in to work today. You can take my truck."

It wasn't like Jason to let anyone at his truck, or to miss work. No matter how hung over or horrified by who he'd slept with the night before, Jason didn't miss a day of work for no good reason. And he wasn't sick - not physically.

"Jason," Sookie stated.

Her brother waved a hand, his eyes were adverted. "I'm fine, Sook. Go on out now."

Sookie wanted to argue that it was pretty damn sure he weren't fine but she knew Jason was too much like her to give in to badgering. If she pushed, he would either break open like pandora's box or clam up like a startled tom cat. Either way, things would be messy, and Jason would be worse off.

But she didn't have all the time in the world.

If Bill didn't bend, she might not see Jason again for a long time. But she couldn't go anywhere without knowing her brother would be okay. He was her only blood worth counting - except maybe Claude - and she loved him just as much as Eric, just _far _differently. She had never been without him. With Gran gone, Jason was her one constant in life, no matter how much of a flake he was.

She couldn't make him tell her, and she refused to pluck it out of his head like a cheap trick, so she had no choice.

Her hesitation switched from her brother to Eric.

It wasn't like she thought Jason would stake him in his sleep, but she didn't want to leave Eric. If Bill sent a werewolf, would Eric know he was in danger and wake up? What if Jason was caught in the crossfire? Sookie wanted to stay where she could blast anyone who came near them, the two people she loved the most, but she needed to warn Sam that she might be skipping town soon.

And she needed to figure a safe way out of town. Also, she should probably get in touch with Ginger to leave a message for Pam.

Maybe she could call Thomas to come round. Alcide hated Eric far too much for her to even consider. But could she trust Thomas with Eric and Jason? He was basically a good guy, spying aside, but she didn't know him very well, and her instinct were clearly unreliable.

Like last night, there was only one person she could trust - Jason.

"Don't let anybody in, okay?" Sookie said anxiously, already thinking of a way to spill all to Sam and get another day off. She was the worst waitress in the whole world. "And if a werewolf shows up, shoot first and ask questions later."

But she wasn't the worst loved one in the world - not these days.

To his credit, Jason only blanched briefly before straightening up, swallowing down his fear. "How can I tell if somebody is a were or not?"

"If they try to force their way inside, you can be pretty sure."

* * *

><p>Masterfully dodging through the gossiping crowds at Merlotte's, Sookie entered Sam's office. Her friend was standing by the window, staring at his hand. He quickly lowered it, and whirled around to face it.<p>

"Sam," Sookie began.

And then she froze.

Someone's thoughts bubbled in the background, and the man standing before her sure as hell wasn't Sam Merlotte. Panic shot through Sookie, twisted bitter with a fresh dose of fear and adrenaline. She didn't know of any supernatural being who could take on somebody else's shape, but she could sense the different thought patterns, and hear the different mental voice.

The fear buzzed in her blood which gushed around her body with the haste of adrenaline, and she felt the burn of her Light rattling down her bones. She let it come, let it broil down her arms and settle in her hands.

"Who are you?" Sookie said lowly, demandingly, as her hands started to glow.

Not-Sam jerked, and tried to laugh it off. "What?"

Her anger spiked, and Light shot out of her fingertips, a beam of sunshine flaring blindingly in the small office. Sam was thrown backwards, slamming into the wall, but not through it as Bill had. He gawked at her in total astonishment.

"How the hell did you do that?" Not-Sam cried.

"Who _are_ you?" Sookie repeated, aiming her hands at him threateningly. "What did you do to Sam?"

Not-Sam stared up at her with panicked eyes, clearly weighing the idea of pressing for more answers against getting zapped again. Her hands continued to glow with a soft golden light, and he swallowed.

"I'm Tommy Mickens, Sam's brother. I'm - Imma shapeshifter."

Sookie had only met Tommy a few times, and she hadn't been particularly fond of him then. He reminded her of Cooter and Pre-Barbie Debbie. She frowned at him, detecting the truth in his thoughts. "Sam said shifter can't turn into other people."

"I was a shapeshifter," Tommy said hastily. His thoughts were riddled with guilt and self-hatred, flashes of blood and a chain around his neck. _I didn't mean to - _"I'm a skinwalker now."

Sookie went to ask how that was even possible but she bit her tongue. There were bigger fish to fry than Tommy Mickens. Sam would have to deal with his brother by himself. She needed to take care of her own sibling. There was no way she would let this slid, however. She couldn't let Tommy walk around with Sam's face on. Even she wasn't _that_ bad of a friend.

"I'm callin' Sam," Sookie declared, pulling her cell out of her jacket.

"Wait!" Tommy flew to his feet, and flinched when her hand shot back up, lingering back nervously. "Please don't tell Sam."

"Excuse me?" Sookie said disbelievingly. Tommy hesitated, perhaps realizing he had no grounds to ask that of her or trying to think of a way to convince her. As he paused, she glanced at her cell and punched in Sam's number.

Realizing this, Tommy started forward, and Sookie stepped back, bringing the phone to her ear. "Don't you come any closer."

"Or what?" Tommy said with postering bravado.

Sookie looked at him pointedly. "What do you think?"

The dial tone cut into Sam's voice, "Hey, Sookie, this ain't really a good time - "

Sookie kept her eyes on Tommy, who was looking increasingly more desperate with every passing second. "Your brother, Tommy - "

Sam fell silent briefly. When he spoke, he sounded anxious. "What happened? What did he say? He okay?"

Sookie hesitated, unsure of exactly how to explain this situation. "He ain't hurt," she settled on finally, tone serious. "But you need to come on over here."

Sam was quiet for another moment before she heard him sigh. There was a note to that noise that rang through Sookie. It was the sound of a sibling, worried and exasperated. She made that sound whenever Jason got in over his head, and she imagined he made it too when she did the same. She couldn't help but feel for Sam, one of her best friends, who finally had a family - even if it wasn't a perfect one.

Perfect was as subjective as normal.

"I'll be over there as fast as I can. Could you keep an eye on him for me?" She heard the sounds of a car door opening, and an engine spluttering to life. "Be careful, chere."

"Bye, Sam," Sookie said, hanging up the phone.

Tommy let out a miserable moan. Sam's face was scrunched up with despair, and he clutched desperately at his hair, real terror shining in his face. "Why you gotta tell him?"

"Why did you shift into your brother?" Sookie retorted, hand to her hip, a twist of genuine curiosity in her voice.

Tommy snorted, like an angry bulldog. "You won't understand. Everybody treats you like you're somethin' special, and they always forgive you, no matter what you do - "

"You don't know anything about me," Sookie said sharply. Her thoughts flickered to Rene, who certainly_ hadn't_ forgiven her for what he viewed as a sin.

"I know everybody forgave you after you disappeared for a whole year!" Tommy retorted.

"I'm not gonna talk about this with you," Sookie said, grasping for calm and falling a bit sort. Her disappearance was still a hotspot for her. It killed her to even think about how much she must have worried everybody, and how much worse it was gonna be if she had to run from Bon Temps.

She needed to see Bill, and try to spin things in a way that coolled things down. No matter how stung his ego was, he wanted to believe that he was a better person than most - that he loved her - but she wasn't good at manipulating people. It could go either way.

But she needed to be ready if they had to flee, and sitting around with Tommy Mickens wasn't very productive. Still, Sam was her friend, and she owed him so much.

A few minutes of her time was a small change apology for everything.

As she thought that, Tommy began puffing himself up, ready to spit out another accusation, and the door opened to admit Sam, who took the wind out of Tommy's sails by appearing. Sam's eyes skated over her, and locked on his double.

He froze. "Tommy, what the fuck did you do?"

Tommy looked small and horrified, wearing his big brother's face but his posture betrayed his age.

Sookie glanced between them, a quick awkward gesture with big brown eyes, and then Sam looked at her. She looked back at him, feeling the stirrings of guilt and regret and apology in her gut.

"Need another day off?" he said roughly, clearly trying to put off dealing with Tommy just yet.

Sometimes Sam had her beat as the telepath. It made her feel worse than if he'd been furious, if he had blamed her like Tommy. Maybe she deserved to be blamed more than she was. Thinking of Jason who couldn't blast someone away and Eric who was sleeping so deeply, all Sookie could was nod.

Tommy didn't scoff but she could feel his disgust at her. It mattered, but not as much as Sam's resigned expression did. She was a horrible friend, a worse waitress, and trying to be rational about things hadn't changed a single thing about that.

"Go on then," Sam sighed.

"I'm sorry," Sookie said quietly. She didn't promise to make it up to him - if they needed to run, she _would_ make sure he knew she was alive - but she high-tailed it out of there fast. To give Sam time with Tommy.

As Sookie hurried through the bar, she picked up on some thoughts. Arlene's place had burned down, and so had Holly's. Sam owned those buildings. Lafayette was gone, Tara was gone, and Terry was with Arlene. More than ever, Sam needed her to pick up the slack.

Sookie clenched her fists and tried to keep walking.

She stepped outside of Merlotte's, air cold on her face, and promptly turned back around. She was already in her uniform. She needed to trust Jason, Eric had survived a thousand years before meeting her, and she was betting on his instincts surviving the memory loss. Sam - who had been so patient and kind to her - needed her. She could spare a couple of hours.

Sookie was tired of being that friend who used the people who cared about her.

Half an hour later, Sookie was taking care of a customers order when Sam stormed out of his office. Setting eyes on her, the shifter froze. His surprise cut into her but it was no less than she deserved.

"Thanks, Sookie," Sam said, relief sharp in his voice.

"I have to skip out after lunch," Sookie warned him worriedly.

"I'll arrange something with June," Sam promised, gripping her shoulder briefly in relief.

June was the step-in waitress, a just-in-case that had turned into more than that.

Sookie smiled back at Sam, strained with worry, and went back to another table.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Sookie tried not to hurry as she entered Jason's home. It wasn't dark yet but it was getting terrifyingly close. Her breath felt short and frantic as she went to her old room first. Eric was sleeping, laying exactly how she had left him. He was perfectly safe, slumbering on unresponsively. Her heart calmed in her chest, and she wiped her hot palms down her hips, feeling the imprint of the iron knife in her waistband.<p>

Sookie closed the door softly, though doubting it would wake him, and climbed into bed with him. She laid her head on his bare chest, and wrapped her arms around him in a brief cling, feeling her tension draining away from her. She felt a brief moment of peace, simply breathing in his cool scent, but it couldn't last for long.

Ginger had a message for Pam. She had been able to help Sam, but there was much to be done. She needed to check in with Jason. She had to warn her brother about Bill, about everything.

She pressed a soft kiss to Eric's chest, drawing a faint shift of muscles from his mostly dead form, before climbing out of bed. Sookie looked around the house quickly before reluctantly going to check in Jason's bedroom.

She found Jason tied to his own bed.

Sookie flinched in surprise, eyes widening. "Jason?"

This did _not _fit in with his behaviour over the last few days. He had been acting so strange.

"Sookie, you gotta get out of here," Jason said frantically. "Go wait for Eric to wake up, and you two leave."

Fear shooting through her, Sookie's head snapped around, looking anxiously through the doorway. She checked the area with her telepathy, finding no activity beside Eric's blank void and Jason's mind which was tangled with terror.

"Is somebody here?" she asked softly.

"No!" Jason said sharply. "It's me! I ain't safe, Sook, I mean it! I'm . . . I'm dangerous . . . "

The release of fear came with an edge of irritation at Jason for scaring her like that.

"Dangerously stupid, maybe," Sookie said, sitting beside her brother on his bed. "Now, why don't you tell me what is going on right now before I dig it out of your head myself?"

Jason stared up at her, a sickly pale color with fear. He looked away, swallowing roughly, and her heart softened against her will. "I think . . . I think I'm turning into a were-panther."

Sookie blinked. "A _what_?"

"A were-panther."

The distress on Jason's face stopped Sookie from scoffing in disbelief. Instead she studied him quietly. He looked at her, utterly serious. It was an unusual look on Jason, and not for the first time, she wondered what had happened to him.

What had done this to him.

A were-panther.

Sookie felt her breath shorten, an unsual stillness falling over her. It was supernatural. Whatever had hurt her brother - _her brother - _was supernatural. The realisation that yet _another _kind of supernatural creature existed was nothing compared to the reality of Jason's situation.

Jason was talking, words fast and unimportant to her ears, but she tuned in anyway just in time to hear him finish, "Because I won't never forgive myself if I bite your head off."

Jason was afraid of turning into a were. A were had bitten her brother, had hurt him and scared him for days, and she hadn't known. She hadn't known to help him or look for him or be scared for him like she _should _have been.

Jason had been alone and scared and in pain.

Her mouth moved automatically; "Jason, if you were turnin' into a were-panther, it wouldn't be during the day. And Eric would be awake by then. He wouldn't let you hurt me."

Jason's eyes were huge and wild with terror, the kind that came when somebody you loved was in danger. He wasn't listening to reason, and she couldn't gather the mental resources to think clearly.

"Sookie . . . " Jason said. It was so soft it could have been a whimper.

"Shh," Sookie sounded softly. She looked into his eyes, tears stinging at her own, but she tried to smile. "C'mon. It'll be okay. We have a while yet before the full moon. I'll talk to Eric, maybe he'll know more about these were-panthers." She touched his mind lightly, feeling it buzzing with terror. "Where are the keys?"

_Bedside table_, he thought instinctively. Before he could do more than begin to protest, Sookie grabbed the key and went to unlock his cuffs.

Jason jerked away from her, "Wait, Sook - "

The cuffs unlocked and she pulled them off him, revealing his skin. It was the first time Sookie had paid attention to his wrists.

They were raw and scarred. The scars looked old and inflamed. Jessica had given him vampire blood. If the internal injuries were bad enough, smaller wounds wouldn't heal. Or the marks had healed over before Jessica and Hoyt had found him.

Jason had been hand-cuffed, and he had struggled hard enough to leave scars.

Unaware of her actions, her fingers touched the scars. Jason flinched away automatically. The implications turned Sookie's stomach.

"Oh God," she whispered numbly, tearful brown eyes turning to Jason. He adverted his eyes, like he was ashamed. Like he had anything to be ashamed about.

It was desperately easy to pull Jason to her, and hug him tightly. After a moment, Jason relaxed tentatively into the contact, like a beaten animal waiting for another blow.

"Don't cry," Jason pleaded, sounding almost like a little boy as he clung to her like one.

Sookie managed to hold her tears back until he outlined things for her. He kept some secrets to himself but she couldn't even think about pushing him right now. Afterward, she stumbled through her own story - every _detail_ - and then she made blueberry pancakes for him.

* * *

><p>After reluctantly leaving Jason at his request, Sookie went back to Eric, every step another stomp on her heart. He was awake when she entered the room, still in bed but clearly freshly awake. The moment she stepped into the room, Eric zipped to her side, closing the door for her and pulling her close to him.<p>

Sookie let him, sinking easily into his embrace, locking her arms around his chest. If he was a human man, he wouldn't have been able to breath, but Eric showed no sign of discomfort. He held her close, rocking her lightly, body curving arounds hers comfortingly. He took her weight easily, stroking his hands down her back.

It would be so easy to snap and start crying over how much she had failed Jason, but that would be failing her brother further.

She was incapable of moving away from Eric, however. It didn't matter that he was naked, and her clothes were stinking of stale beer. His touch soothed her broken nerves, restoring them to some semblance of capable. Her breath stuttered painfully against his chest, and Eric held her tighter, chest rumbling with a soothing purr.

Her eyes burned furiously, eyelashes becoming damp even as she blinked back her tears.

"I can feel your pain," Eric said softly, a note of shared distress in his voice. He hide his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. "What happened?"

"Do you know anything about were-panthers?" she asked quietly, trying to even her breathing.

Eric was still for a moment, thinking before she felt a ghost of something. "I'm afraid not."

She wasn't very surprised by that. Eric had never struck her fond of werewolves, let alone other types of were, so she doubted that knowledge would linger in his mind ahead of his own name. At her brief silence, the ghosting feeling grew. Sookie pinned it down.

Failure. He felt like he had failed her.

Unable to handle that thought, especially now, Sookie shifted back on her heels and kissed him, a soft sweet gesture. The ghosting emotion was replaced by a gentle warmth that further soothed her.

Eric touched her face so tenderly that she felt her breath catch. She imagined her pain had turned into the same gentle warmth.

"What happened?" he repeated.

"Jason was bitten by a were-panther," Sookie told him, words falling heavily from her mouth.

Eric's blue eyes - so soft and caring - flared for her. "Tonight is the full moon," he stated. His hidden meaning was clear, _you are in danger_.

Unable to agree, Sookie nodded jerkily at the spoken words. "I can't leave him," she told him.

Eric seemed to have expected that. He nodded, stroking his big hands down her back soothingly. It was an absent gesture, like he had thought about doing it so many times that it was instinct. Despite Jason and Bill and so many problems, Sookie had to wonder which Eric that was.

"I know," he said simply, not arguing.

His acceptance startled her. Bill would never have - but Eric wasn't Bill.

"You should get dressed," Sookie said, reluctantly parting from him.

"Stay?" Eric murmured questioningly, and Sookie whispered back her agreement.

Eric was dressed within moments, choosing dark jeans and a navy blue sweatshirt not unlike his grey one. It wasn't easy keeping her hands to herself while he walked around naked but she managed by thinking about the last few days. Sookie climbed off the bed when he pulled his shirt over his head, muscles rippling under smooth pale skin. He turned to her, and smiled, a smile genuine enough to smash her heart.

Sookie bit back to the urge to grab his hand - to cling for as long as she could - and smiled a little oddly back.

Eric followed her to the sitting room, blue eyes drilling into her profile. The soft material of his shirt brushed against her bare arm, and her hand twitched automatically, then his fingers were lacing through hers, and she squeezed lightly, a knot loosening in her gut.

Then they were in the sitting room, and Jason was gone. A chill shot up her spine, turning it to ice. Her grip tightened around Eric's hand, panic swelling from the pit of her stomach.

She twisted to face Eric, eyes wide. Before she could speak, Eric swept her up in his arms, and took off. The chilly night air bit at Sookie's skin, a startled cry leaving her mouth as she clung to him instinctly, closing her eyes. Dimly, she heard him breathing an apology into her hair, and then he was racing through the trees, easily dodging branches until he slowed and then stopped.

Sookie gasped for air, trying to adjust to the stillness. She heard Jason's shocked curse at their sudden appearance, and opened her eyes. The world span but only briefly (vampire blood?) and she saw her brother.

Jason was gawking at them in astonishment. They were in a clearing, surrounded by trees stretching up to the heavens. The sky was dark. A thrill of fear shot through Sookie, but she clamped down on it before it could spread. Eric let her wiggle free from his arms, standing on unsteady legs.

"Jason, come on," she said hurriedly. "We need to get back inside."

"Nu-uh." Face pale, Jason shook his head, stumbling a few steps away from her. "I ain't going back inside."

"I could drag you," Eric stated from her side, a cool note of threat in his voice. Sookie's eyes darted to him, startled by the familiar tone of his voice. He sounded like himself for the first time in days.

Jason swallowed anxiously, but he shook his head. "If you care about my sister, you won't. I could hurt her."

"Jason, when you shift into a were-whatever, you're _still _you!" Sookie told him, her voice exasperated and harshened with growing panic. She couldn't sense any minds or voids approaching them, but that wasn't very comforting.

"I won't be me!" Jason argued. "I'll be some freak of nature."

Sookie went to say _like me_ but she held herself back, unsure of how Eric would react to that. "We don't even know if you're a panther or not!"

"I am!" Jason sounded utterly convinced. "I know I am, Sook. And don't try to argue with me!"

"You don't _know_ that," Sookie said sharply, ignoring his last order with the ease that came naturally to any younger sibling. "Look!" she gestured up at the moon, hanging faintly in the sky. "Moon is already full, and you ain't even sprouted stubble yet, let alone huge claws!"

That struck Jason hard. He hesitated, looking up at the sky. When he looked at Sookie, his face was vulnerable. "You really think I ain't a were-panther?"

"Yes," she said, stressing the word out with conviction. "Now come on, we have to get back inside." Jason lingered for another second, like he was expecting something horrible to happen. "_Jason_."

Her brother looked at her, and relief spilled across his face, gushing and overblown with sheer delight.

Despite her panic, it warmed Sookie to see. Instinctively, she glanced at Eric, who had an absent look on his face as he looked out into the woods.

* * *

><p>Eric was unexpected silent on the walk back. Jason was delighted, rambling happily to her. His mood wasn't even dented by her requests for him to hurry up. However, Sookie was less delighted. She could feel the strangeness of Eric's mood throbbing in the back of her mind like an ache, and his silence worried her.<p>

Even now, Eric wasn't a chatty person but he wasn't quiet like this without reason.

Her worry lessened after the front door to her brother's home was shut behind them, and Jason went to bed, looking like he hadn't slept for days. It must be a large weight off his mind, and she was pleased for him. Well, as much as she could be. If she knew anything, Bill would be coming soon, and she would need to talk him down.

But first -

"Eric?" she tried softly.

"Bill is coming," Eric stated simply, a flat tone to his voice.

Every inch of Sookie froze, including her heart and lungs before she hastily restarted them. Her brain tripped over itself frantically, but she swallowed and tried to breath. She knew Eric could handle the back up if Bill thought to bring any (she doubted he would, a solo mission was more likely to _impress_ her) and she could zap them to help out. It would buy them time if things went south.

But Bill's ego would never let him back down in front of Eric, even like this.

"Stay here," Sookie said pleadingly.

Eric's face went dangerously blank. "Excuse me?"

"If Bill sees you, he won't listen to me," Sookie tried to convince him.

Eric looked at her, and she could see his mind turning. He was too smart to deny the truth in her statement, but he didn't like the idea of her confronting Bill alone. "He could hurt you."

"He wouldn't. He thinks he's better than that. And if he does, I can blast him, and you'll just be inside." Eric wasn't sold on the idea. In fact, she could feel his unease and horror at the suggestion drilling into her head. He hated the idea - fiercely - but he knew it was their best shot at getting out of this without more violence.

"Sookie - " it was almost a plea.

"Trust me," she said quietly. This was a plea - a plea for him _not _to be like Bill, so overprotective that she couldn't breathe. The lack of oxygen did horrible things to her brain. If there was even the slightest chance she could save him without leaving Bon Temps, she had to give it a try.

Eric looked at her fiercely, blue eyes moving over her stance with a force she almost felt on her skin. There was a break in his expression, a fresh flood of static charged tension, and pain. This hurt him. His silence was closer to consent than she had expected, but Sookie saw him clench his fists when she went for the door, like he was trying desperately not to grab her and keep her close - keep her safe.

"Stay close," Eric gritted out, like he was spitting out broken glass.

Knowing that if she looked back she would be unable to take another step, Sookie didn't. "I will, I promise."

The night air was cold as Sookie stood outside her brother's house. She tried not to think of failure or the caged look in Eric's eyes when she'd asked him to trust her, and he _had_. It killed him to sit back and let someone else handle his - _their_ - problems.

She didn't have to wait long.

There were three voids in the woods, far enough away not to hear but close enough to swoop in if needed be, and there was one standing before her in a tacky suit. Bill Compton.

"Sookie," Bill said, staring at her. There was pain of his face, and disgust too. Sookie wondered vaguely if he could smell Eric all over her skin. He adverted his eyes from her briefly, like he couldn't bare to look at her. "I've come for Eric."

"Bill - " she started quietly. Her stomach was a writhing pit of nerves.

"He has committed treason," Bill spat before she could finish.

"He didn't know what he was doing," Sookie shot back rapidly.

"Exactly!" Bill snapped. "He is enchanted by a witch's spell - he isn't safe!"

"How would you know?" Sookie demanded harshly.

"Because he is Eric Northman! He is a bloodthirsty monster!"

Anger swelled from the pit of Sookie's stomach, and she struggled to push it down. "He isn't a danger to me," she said with unwavering faith. "I _know_ that. And last night proved it. You just _burst _in last night - Eric was _protecting_ me - "

"I cannot simply let this slid!" Bill said furiously.

"I saved your life," Sookie said sharply, smashing the words into him without remorse. "I rescued you from the drainers the first night we met. I went to Jackson to save your life. After I rescued you from Lorena - after I ended her _for_ you - you attacked me - and you _enjoyed_ it."

"I was half-dead - " Bill argued.

"Like Eric was after he tricked Russell out into the sun?" Sookie retorted.

"Eric is over three times my age!" Bill protested. "And he is far more accustomed to feeding from humans than I! And do not forget that _Eric_ took your blood by force!"

"So _did_ you," Sookie reminded him hotly. She didn't know what to think about the whole mess with Russell, but she was certain now wasn't the type to think about it. "I was mad as hell at Eric for what he did, but one action doesn't sum up his entire personality!"

"But one action condemns me," Bill claimed outragiously.

Anger broiled in Sookie, hot and fierce. "No! All of your actions condemn you! From the very start, you planned to hand me over - like an _animal_ - to your Queen so she could do Lord knows what to me - you had me beaten and broken, the night_ after _I_ saved_ your life, so you could pour your blood down my throat - "

"I had no choice!" Bill snarled.

"You have a choice now!" Sookie said furiously.

A silence fell between them. Bill stared at her, torn between livid fury and a sickly shame, and she stared back, firmly set in her emotions. His desire to be good was strong, but not enough to overcome decades of self-loathing and cowardly acts. He needed one more push.

Sookie let her face soften, a vulnerable little girl at his mercy. Her heart hammered in her chest, stomach twisted up sickeningly. This was the knife edge. If she had misjudged Bill - yet again - she would need to blast him, and scream for Eric. And they would have to run from everything familiar, maybe never come back home ever again.

It was a horrific thought but it was nothing compared to the thought of Eric's death. She knew she would lose him, but not like that - _never_ like that.

"Don't do this," Sookie said softly, a raw note to her voice - a plea. "If any of what you have _ever _claimed to feel for me is real, don't do this."

Bill stared at her, expression still and frozen. He looked like an old man, drained of everything. Perhaps he was remembering their last actual conversation, and her false promise - and then walking in on her, clearly having just given herself to Eric.

"He won't love you," Bill said, a rasp of pain to his voice. The words cut through Sookie like a knife, shocking her with the pain. She had hoped Bill couldn't hurt her anymore. "Not as I do."

And then Bill turned his back on her, shooting off into the woods.

Sookie was frozen to the spot, pain dancing across her nerves, but she felt the four voids disappearing. Too numb and shocked for relief, Sookie turned around and walked back inside.

Eric was frozen in the sitting room, still standing. When she came to a startled stop, he stared at her, an indescribable expression on his face. It was wonderous and stunned and empty. Such a confusing, complex mixture.

And Sookie felt sick, right down to the stomach. Something was wrong.

His mouth moved for a second, miming the words before saying them, but his stare remained blank and drilling.

He said the words before she was willing to process them - "I remember."

His wasn't the sharp punch to her heart and pride that Bill's betrayal had been.

A fist slammed into her stomach, hitting her so deep that her spine shattered. A car crash of emotions smashed around her insides, crashing through her heart like glass, and the broken pieces rained down on her insides, stabbing the lingering remains of her insides to a pulp.

It was like dying and breaking and falling helplessly into the darkness. She couldn't breath or gasp or scream like she so desperately wanted to.

The emotions overwhelmed her, crashing down on her with the weight of an ocean. It was too much for her to handle. As a keening terror and adrenaline shot through her, her natural instincts kicked in. She loved him as much as she feared him right now, so there was only one option -

With a desperate broken gasp for air, Sookie twisted around and hurtled away from Eric.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary **Sookie returns from Fairy Land with a dash of reality, and handles her dangerous situation with more awareness. Watch the pretty ripples...AU Season Four. Eventual Eric/Sookie.

* * *

><p>Sookie burst out into the night air, and it hit her like a bucket of ice water. She felt like she had been sucker punched deep in the gut, insides bruised and gushing blood from the blow, fragments of her spine stabbing her insides, and her eyes were on fire from the agony. Her heart felt raw, like it had been dragged across the road for miles and miles. Her head was riddled with panic, urging her desperately to <em>run, run, run <em>while she had the chance, to get away before -

Before. It hurt so much right now, the uncertainty, but knowing felt worse. Knowing for sure if he wanted her or not, if she had lost him entirely, if he hated her. It was terrifying, like the steep drop from the empire state building to the harsh concrete below. She loved him, as he had been and as he now was.

That was the worst part. She was torn between agonized grief for the smiling lover she had known, and dizzy relief that Eric Northman was back. He was safer now than ever, and he was himself again. She _had_ missed him - his dark humor, solid strength, and odd complexity.

But it was sickening to think this might be the end of them. The idea felt like an amputation of her most vital limbs, and she ran from that - from the killing blow. It was pure survival instinct to get away from that kind of pain, to delay even the _threat_ of losing someone. She'd tried so _hard_ not to love him, but she'd fell for him so deeply, and the freefall was catching up with her.

Her heart was crushed under the weight of memories - the stark _happiness_ in his blue eyes, the vulnerablity in his sleeping face, his open and honest smile as he looked at her. She might never see any of that again.

The loss screamed through her with an ugly, wild desperation.

Eric was impossible to predict, saving her one minute and betraying her trust the next, and he could crack her heart open, revealing an ugly poorly healed mess of meat, without even intending too. And he _wouldn't_ intend to, because Eric had given her a means to protect herself even while demanding everything she had in exchange for her home - the next night, he had kissed her so fiercely, so violently, and then called her his -

He had stayed with her when she had asked him too, easing her fear of Bill simply by standing there. The look of fury on his face when she revealed where she had been, and why she had been gone so long. Then, in Dallas, with Godric. In the aftermath, she had gone to him and held his hand and never told a soul of his tears.

Later, Eric had tricked her (scared her so badly) with a blood-soaked bullet instead of asking for her help, then she could never forget the cold shock and painful betrayal with Russell - _"You mean nothing to me! Nothing!" _- and then that bite, tearing mercilessly into her flesh - and she had been so scared, so hurt -

And it changed nothing.

She would still do anything for him.

Sookie stuttered to a stop, less than a few feet from her brother's door. She couldn't move another inch forward. In the end, she didn't even try. She felt a strong chain of iron in her chest, urging her to go back to him, no matter what.

Because she would do anything for him. Because she loved him. Because she wasn't that cowardly girl anymore who stuffed her head in the sand, and jumped the gun, letting her feelings drive her wild with stupidity.

He deserved a lot more than her, an emotionally immature waitress from the middle of nowhere. The truth was another knife sliding the chest, but she managed a weak, hitching breath through the stabbing pain. Eric deserved to have his say, even if it was all rage and snarls and rejection. And she deserved to be more than that girl again, the one who chose false happiness over blistering, real agony.

Loving someone was never supposed to be easy or fair. It was horrible and terrifying, like throwing away everything at someone else, and just _praying_ things weren't about to go bad.

Like she had done so stupidly for Bill, all but stabbing her own eyes out to keep her delusions running on.

Sookie would rather die than become that blood-addled girl ever again, so she had spent so long questioning her feelings for Eric and his feelings for her. So she tried to convince herself - to brace herself, only it felt far more like a cursed resignment - that there was no chance this was going to end well.

Only. . .

It was harsh but Sookie didn't want to be Tara either. She didn't want to think in constant worst-case paranoia, dodging any chances that could break her heart into a million pieces.

Because she loved him too much to be that selfish and because they _both _deserved better than this, she needed to go back.

Tears burned her eyes like acid, and she covered them, bowing her head. She bit down on a noise, forcing it back down her throat. The tears poured down into her palms, spilling heat over her skin. She tried to fight her terror back, to turn around and face Eric, but for a moment, it was too strong. The cold air burned down her lungs as she finally sucked in another shaking breath - and forced her jaw to lock down on sobs.

Her legs were weak under her, ready to pitch her to the floor in a crumbled wreck, but she held strong.

Inhaling deeply through her nose, Sookie wiped at her eyes and lingered a moment. The night air cooled the heat in her eyes. She felt raw and vulnerable, like her chest was sliced open, easy for anyone to deliver a violent kick to her insides.

Fragile and weak and scared out of her goddamn mind but she wasn't a runaway.

Sookie forced herself to turn around, stomach twisting painfully in protest. Before she could take more than one step forward, the door was ripped open, and her world blurred - and then her back struck brick _hard_, breath catching in her chest - and Eric stared at her furiously, a feral _frenzy _in his eyes -

The glimpse of his expression hit her like a punch to the gut, wrecking havoc on her visceral organs. The ghost of _his_ feelings were worse, a tangled trainwreck of emotion speeding towards her violently.

"_Don't_ run from this," he said, a hoarse rasp to his voice.

Sookie tried to breathe, her throat closing up painfully. She felt sick with terror and pain, barely able to think beyond the blue of his eyes. Iron bands clenched around her chest, crushing her lungs bloodily.

"I won't," she managed quietly. She meant those words fiercely. "I won't run."

Eric stilled at her words, and she could see calculations ticking away behind his hard eyes. He continued to stare at her, a blunt drilling look that assessed even the slightest threat of her leaving. If he believed her or not, she couldn't tell because he didn't budge an inch. His grip tightened on her arms, just shy of painfully, before loosening but not letting go.

"But we can't talk here." There was sure to be yelling, and Jason was inside.

Eric looked at her, expression hard and skin pale, even for a vampire. Without a word, she felt herself being hauled over his shoulder, and then he took off in a run. The wind whipped at her hair, but Sookie was almost used to travelling at vamp speed by now. He curled his arm under her knees, skin soft against her bare flesh, holding his shoulder still enough that it didn't dig into her stomach. The memory of his drunken antics, sliding a hand up to palm her behind, felt like enough of a punch to the gut that he needn't have bothered.

Within a short time, Eric came to a stop on her porch, and Sookie slipped hurriedly down off his shoulder, moving away from him. She sucked in a couple of deep breathes, trying to handle the sudden stillness after so much motion, before trying the door. It was still unlocked from their hurried exit. The back of her neck prickled under his stare but she forced herself not to look back, terrified of what might spill out of her mouth.

The door opened. She entered her home with Eric closely behind, and paused in the hallway in surprise. The wall had been rebuilt from when she had blasted through it. Perhaps it had been Bill? But why?

Throught years of ingrated habit, she kicked off her shoes automatically. There was a sound behind her, the faint thud of shoes on the floor, and she looked back. Eric had kicked off his shoes, leaving him in dark socks. Abruptly, she remembered washing his feet, pulling those stones from his flesh, and he'd _smiled_ at her . . .

Eric seemed to be suffering from his own recollection from the fleeting glimpse she caught of his expression.

The memories seemed to gut the anger in his eyes, leaving something far more horrific to her behind. His eyes went strangely hollow and opaque, lingering on the couch. Where she had first told him she loved him, where they'd had sex, where she had chosen him over Bill.

Her own memory stabbed steeply into her gut, so deep that she tasted bile in the back of her throat, and she turned her face away, walking to the kitchen. She grabbed a glass from the cabinet, filling it brisky with water, and tipping her head back to drink it. It tasted icy cold, and she ended up drinking more than she'd expected, swallowing slowly to settle her twisted stomach.

Sookie didn't want to turn around, to face Eric and talk, to listen to whatever he had to say but it was inevitable. Her back stiffened, spine threatening to turn to jelly, stomach began to rebel from a mixture of bone-deep pain and cold terror. She put her glass aside, laced her shaking hands together, and turned.

Eric stared at her across the table, blue eyes burning intensely, head lowered. The stance made him seem feral and almost wolfish, ready to pounce. She leaned back against the counter, needing something solid at her back, and moved her hands to grip the side.

"I remember everything," Eric said, tossing the words out into the air starkly. "I'm still who I have been with you," he continued. There was no give in his expression, no vulnerablity to match the words. "Nothing has to change."

Only it already had.

It killed her to see him like this, cold and harsh, so unlike the softened man who had invaded her house and her heart. She couldn't even imagine what it was like for him, trying to mesh two sets of memories together, and what was in those new memories . . .

A thousand years carried an impact.

Softly, she shook her head. "Everything's changed."

"Not as you have been afraid of," Eric stated, voice firm and certain. He sounded like he was pitching a concept to her, not fighting for their relationship.

Sookie adverted her gaze, struggling to swallow as her eyes burned, threatening to spill over. She felt so many things, all of them jarring together painfully. It was too much - all of this was too much - and she was splintering under the pressure.

She could never regret him, not for a single second, but the memores were choking her. Waking up with him curled around her tightly, the happy flare of his vivid blue eyes, the sleeping vulnerablity of him, and his _honesty_.

"Sookie." His tone had shifted, lowering until his rough voice seemed softer. It forced her to look at him, a quick nervous glance that lingered for longer than planned. There was a crack in his expression, a yield of vulnerablity that leaked out.

He was so brave. She tried to match him.

"You scare me," she admitted quietly.

Eric's expression lurched, like she had kicked him, and locked down instinctively. When he spoke, his words were clipped but harshly sincere. "I would never hurt you."

"I know that," she said firmly, putting force behind the truth in her voice. She looked at him somewhat intently, wanting him to read her sincerity from her face.

Eric looked away for a brief moment, struggling to regroup. His jaw was a hard line of tension. "Then what are you afraid of, Sookie?"

Sookie was silent, words catching in her throat, and Eric looked at her, grey-blue eyes riveted on her dark set.

Sometime over the last few days, she had forgotten this, how to put herself under a spotlight and point out all of her worst fears, how to be vulnerable with somebody. It had been hard with the other Eric. Her insides shrank fearfully at the mere idea of doing this with him now.

She had tried so hard to cautious. Even before his memory loss, she had cared about him deeply, feeling a stubborn attachment that drew her to him like a moth to a flame, but she had been flung violently over the edge by his unknowning vulnerablity - his _trust_ - and she was still falling, always falling for him.

But there was something that stopped her from hitting the bottom, from trusting the man she loved.

It made her run, and resign herself to losing him, and not even think of fighting for him, not even think that he might love her with the same hot-headed passion she felt for him.

"No use in lying," Sookie said, partly to him, but mostly to herself. She crossed her arms tightly across her chest, and Eric tracked the little gesture with his steely blue eyes. "I don't know you."

Those eyes snapped to her face, burning like an explosion with intensity - a _dangerous_ intensity.

Sookie surged on quickly before he could contradict her, "We've never been friends. We've never talked about _anything_ personal before the last week. I barely know _anything_ about you. And you don't know me, Eric - not really, and I'm glad for it. Before now, I've been actin' like such a _child_."

And how could he possibly want - _love_ - someone who had behaved like that? It seemed impossible that this Eric, who knew himself, could love anyone, especially her. Even as a child, she had never acted so foolish and blind and _arrogant_.

"I know you," Eric said in his rough-soft voice. It was a hard statement packed with cool certainty. A inferno raged behind the icy blue of his eyes, hot and overpowering. "Perhaps not as well as I once assumed, but I know you now." There was a heat broiling under his smooth calm, a possessive fire, deeping the rasp of his voice. "And you will know me."

Sookie felt drawn into him, like a moff to the flame. It was an effect Eric simply had on people, a ruthless magnetism that was hard to resist. It had nothing to do with his remarkble looks. He had lost it with his memory - his personality.

"You can't say things like that and expect it to fix things," Sookie told him softly.

Eric lowered his head a little more, not sheepishly as he would have done mere hours ago, but _angrily_, and then he was a blur, zipping across the table at vamp speed, coming to a hard stop scant inches away from her. There was a snarl hiding under his smooth _humanly_ angry face, crackling in his blue eyes. "Running from me is hardly a better option."

Her spine stiffened. "I was coming _back_." She let that settle on him for exactly a second before charging forward. "I was coming back because we can't just _ignore_ this, or pretend it'll all go away - "

A low snarl rumbled through the kitchen from the back of Eric's throat. "I refuse to ignore this."

Sookie's arms tightened around herself, an instinctive reaction to the growing fury in his eyes, though she wasn't afraid of _him_, just his words. "I don't _know_ what you want," she said, voice harsh with upset.

"I _don't_ want trite excuses," Eric said sharply. "You knew nothing of Bill yet you were with him for quite some time."

The reminder was painful, and worse still, she knew it had been deliberate - maybe he was testing her feelings for the other vampire, maybe he was punishing her for running before, but Eric was too sharp for it to have been an accident.

"I learned from _that_ mistake," she bit back, just shy of harshly. Eric's eyes blazed with fury at the unintentional barb in her voice. "And Bill has nothing to do with our - with _this_."

The blue of Eric's eyes deepened, giving way under something unreadable. "I have made my intentions clear from the moment we met," he claimed in a calmer, almost soft manner.

Sookie didn't notice his tone, all she heard were his words, and the words were killers. She felt a part of herself screaming wildly in pain, like the sharp shock of instinct after an amputation, a wild desperation to reclaim what vital piece was brutally sliced away.

But she didn't cry, though fuck did she want to. Cry and get as far from him as possible, as far from the memories and thoughts and the love that crushed her chest like an aluminum soda can.

Adrenaline and self-preservation numbed the loss she felt for now, turning it into a minor case of shock to lessen the thunderous impact.

"To fuck me," Sookie heard herself saying from a million miles away, through a baffling film of gut-busting sickness and numbness.

The numb took a hit when his fangs snapped down, a move of pure undiluted fury.

"_No_," he hissed at her viciously. Eric was _livid_. His blue eyes looked like sparks shooting off a sharpened blade, gray and hot enough to singe. His smooth handsome expression had disappeared, leaving behind a look of animal rage behind. "I want _more_. I want _everything_."

Heart lodged in her throat, Sookie gazed at him, unable to speak. Eric reached out for her, touching her face. The large span of his hand curved around her cheek, and he stared down at her intently, reading the broad hesitance in her eyes.

"If you give yourself to me, you won't regret it," he promised, drilling through her grey matter with a single stare. His fangs clicked away. "You will know me."

He was a whirlwind, an unstoppable force when he wanted something, but Sookie wasn't a pushover anymore. She could push back, but it wasn't easy when she wanted it to be true, when she wanted to believe him _so_ bad.

But this was Eric, who had tried to buy her and then asked her so rawly to be his. He didn't make sense. She couldn't trust her judgement on him, and she couldn't trust blindly. But she loved him, so she wanted that too. Want and smarts, the two always clashed. And she always chose wrong.

She had been silent too long.

Something cold and bitter darted across Eric's face, and his hand dropped away like lead. "Do you truly hate me that much?"

Shock crashed through her abruptly, like being doused in ice water. Her heart exploded in her throat, and words jerked violently out of her mouth, "No! I've . . . " her startled voice softened, like it would have for him hours before. "Eric, I've _never_ hated you."

His smile was hard. It made her chest hurt, reminding her of the look on his face when he had first seen the ring Bill had proposed to her with. "Not even when I tortured your friend?"

She stiffened. She tried to be as loyal to her friends as possible, especially after Faerie, and the truth felt like a betrayal of that. She had barely spoken to Lafayette since getting back. Tara had drained her focus, and he was somewhere safe now, far away from Eric's delayed fury.

However, they _were_ friends.

"I was mad as hell," Sookie said finally, regret in her voice. Not mad enough. Not worried enough when Lafayette disappeared. "And I wanted to hate you, but . . . "

But even then, there had been something about Eric - something that burrowed under her skin, that made him a _person_ to her (far from human, but not a monster) and she couldn't hate a person, not even Bill. She just wasn't built that way.

"I hated what you did," she said firmly, eyes darting up to catch his tentatively. "But I didn't hate you."

To her surprise, Eric's hard expression flickered at her confession. He stared at her, such a beautiful man with wildly intense eyes. The air felt tight and heavy, almost thick enough for her to feel weighing down on her. His silence in the face of her confession made her nervous, and she was aware of the irony in that.

When Eric spoke, his voice was strange, holding the other Eric's emotional boldness but also his usual unreadable tone. The only thing to connect it to the man before her was the voice, rough-soft and filled with so many contradictions in that alone. "Do you still love me?"

The question hit her like a punch to the gut, knocking the breath out of her and sending her mentally crashing to the floor. For one wild instant, she thought about lying and saying she wasn't sure, he was so different that she didn't know. The idea was dismissed abruptly as cruel and cowardly. She didn't want to lie to him, but she was terrified of telling the truth.

"You know how I feel," she said instead, hedging around the question nervously.

"Say it," Eric bit out, the tension coiling in his voice, and in his body like a current of electricity growing deadlier.

Sookie felt her own body lock up with discomfort. She felt boxed in, trapped by his eyes. It was an awful hackle-rasing feeling that worked through her form, tightening her muscles against her will. The words were weights in the back of her mouth, unwilling to budge an inch, and truthfully, she didn't try to move them. It would be like ripping her heart out and throwing it at his feet.

It was a huge risk, and the words would make her so very, very vulnerable.

Her thoughts shifted, a memory flash of Amnesia Eric. He had been open with her, devoted and happy and unscarred. Astonishingly brave, enough to grind down all of her objections and turn her affection into love.

It was the actual feelings that made her vulnerable to him, not the words. She could control words, but not her feelings, never her feelings. The telepath felt a pang of sadness. When had she became cautious enough that love felt shameful? When had she started living in a world where she trusted the man she loved with her body, but not the truth?

Gran had told her to take a chance back in Marnie's shop, and she had taken what felt like dozens, but they were small steps in reality. How could she trust Eric if she didn't take a gamble?

Sookie inhaled slowly, heart racing wildly with panic and sheer icy terror, and as Eric looked at her intently, trying to gauge her expression, she was brave.

In one smooth movement, she moved forward, stretching up, and she kissed him. It was a soft kiss, more romantic than passionate. Eric's eyes flared wildly like an eruption, the black in his eyes widened, blue retreating wisely. When she leaned away, his arms snapped out to grab her roughly - not painful, but the movement was vampire fast and very tight, like he expected her to slip away.

"_Sookie_," he gritted out through his teeth, rough and heartbreakingly raw, almost desperate. It was easy to look at him like this and be convinced he loved her, but self-doubt was never an easy kill.

"Shh," Sookie said breathlessly, and his hands tightened. His eyes searched hers in a furious frenzy. She breathed in deeply. Sticks and stones but words will never hurt her yet somehow, this did. "I love you, Eric."

* * *

><p><strong>Have faith in me, dear readers. Next on my update list, Circular Reasoning, and that pesky novel of mine . . . <strong>


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